Millennials are food obsessed. Spoon University‘s growing base exemplifies just this. This new generation of “foodies,” “food nerds,” “gastronauts,” what ever you choose to call it, may know how to take the perfect Instagram of avocado toast or latte art, but can they tell you what a tomato seed looks like?

Among a generation full of contradicting interests, food is a hallmark that cannot be ignored. This generation of consumers has pushed a shift in the market, favoring organic, fresh, artisanal and paying more for these labels. Words like these reflect a broadened sphere of knowledge around health and sustainability. Because really, pesticides are so 90s. When was the last time you saw someone eat a Quaker granola bar? Why would they when even the most mainstream of stores stock a wide selection of fruit-nut-mysterious protein mush combinations that have no GMOs, or dare I say, gluten.

Even with this shift towards food consciousness, data is still contradictory. According to a study conducted by BBDO marketing group, 48%of millennials identify as “foodies.” Eighty-nine percent of these self proclaimed “foodies” still choose to eat at McDonalds and 44% of them eat fast food one to four times a week. Not exactly what one might picture in the “specialty” obsessed millennial repertoire. Maybe it is just the hedonistic nature of being young that draws many millennials towards greasy, industrial locales, or maybe it’s a knowledge gap. Conversations around food today are more likely sriracha-centric than carbon footprint-centric. It seems as though the greater the interest in cooking, restaurants and health trends, the more truly disconnected millennials are from the system and process in which their food comes from.

Many “foodies” may be surprised when they take Food Day’s Food Literacy quiz. Food literacy is defined as an “understanding the story of one’s food, from farm to table and back to the soil; the knowledge and ability to make informed choices that support one’s health, community, and the environment” (FoodDay.org). This generation has a clear desire to make change and make smarter choices. There is a huge level of interest in food, now this excitement needs to be channeled into understanding our food system and subsequently changing it.

Take the quiz and see how food literate you are!

Check out these other awesome Food Day posts from around the web:

Despite Food Trends, Many Millennials Aren’t Food Literate

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