College and university foodservice professionals and full time student consumers were surveyed about their use of social media related to a wide range of campus venues including: residential dining, convenience stores, quick service restaurants, vending and catering on campus. Y-Pulse conducted the first study exclusively focused on social media usage related to campus foodservice in 2010; this new study provides insight into what is trending now and how social media usage compares to five years ago.

Read this Study to learn more about:

• The social media platforms students use for information on campus foodservice and how these platforms have changed over the past 5 years
• The information students seek out from campus foodservice venues
• Ways in which foodservice professionals communicate to students and what social media policies they have in place

Leading college and university foodservice professionals were surveyed about their experiences with and opinions on the eating habits and preferences of their student consumers. Fifty-six industry leaders including dining services directors, chefs, and registered dietitians were surveyed prior to the National Association of College and University Food Services Conference and personal interviews were conducted during the conference in Indianapolis, Indiana July 22-25, 2015.

Read this Study to learn more about:

• What's on the minds of next generation consumers when it comes to dining
• How the dining habits of Gen Z has evolved from those of the Millennials
• What the biggest challenges are in menu planning for Gen Z

Ten years ago Y-Pulse began tracking foodservice trends through the nation’s leading foodservice directors in the education segments to give food marketers insight on what would shape the tastes of tomorrow’s consumers, and this latest report identifies how young consumers tastes are setting the pace for tomorrow’s menus.

In K-12 schools, lunch has become a learning lab empowering young consumers with the knowledge they need to make mindful nutritious choices. Today’s school foodservice directors are serving up a lot more than breakfast and lunch; 96% consider teaching nutrition education to be an important part of their job. On college and university campuses foodservice directors are on the cutting edge of experimentation with new foods, new concepts and new delivery systems for some of the most demanding consumers in America.

Read this Study to find out more about these Top 10 Foodservice Trends on Campus:

• Healthy By Design
• Wellness as a Way of Life
• Culinary Nutrition On Campus
• Cooking Is Back In Style
• Technology Enabled Connections
• Community Building
• Refining the Dining Experience
• Parents Back In School
• The Global Kitchen
• Food with a Conscience

Leading school foodservice professionals from school districts throughout the U.S. were surveyed to learn about the magnitude of their responsibilities; the skill sets they have and those they would like to have in relation to running their nutrition programs. Over 88% of school foodservice directors have college degrees and more than 35% have advanced degrees.

In addition to their responsibilities for menu planning, and managing labor and food costs, today’s school foodservice directors have an important role in making school kitchens more efficient and cafeterias and dining areas more inviting for students.

Read this study to learn what school foodservice directors had to say about their responsibilities in running school nutrition programs:

• Teaching nutrition education as an important part of the foodservice director’s job
• How important it is to have knowledge and skills in planning equipment needs and purchases
• The importance of communication skills in disseminating information to various audiences that include school administrators, parents, students and opinion leaders in the communities they serve

Y-Pulse surveyed young consumers, 8-13 years old, about what motivates them to make the decisions they make regarding their food and beverage choices away from home. This study also includes a review of what’s on the menu at the top chains and how those choices connect with what kids really want. They might be young but they are restaurant savvy, more educated than any previous generation on nutrition, and are very involved in their family’s decisions to dine out.

This Y-Pulse survey of 500 boys and girls ages 8 to 13 throughout the U.S. provides kids’ perspectives about their favorite places to eat and their favorites foods, including:

• Which away from home venues are kid favorites and why – quick service restaurants, casual dining chains or independents, convenience stores, shopping mall food courts and school cafeterias
• How kids define quality when assessing away from home choices
• How kids of different ages feel about ordering from the kids’ menu

Full time college students throughout the country were surveyed to gain their perspectives on campus wellness programs. Consumer surveys were compared with input from leading foodservice directors, chefs and registered dietitians working on college campuses. An in-depth review of consumer insight from social media sources was conducted in tandem with the original research to identify leading campus wellness programs around the country.

200 full time college students were surveyed about their perspectives on wellness program offerings on their campuses. Read this study to understand more about:

• Importance of Wellness Programs on Campus
• How important is foodservice relative to other aspects of campus life that contribute to wellness
• Where does wellness rank in the lists of concerns students have related to their current lifestyle
• Perspective on what students would like to see on their campus to enhance their health and well being

This nationwide study surveyed 500 boys and girls ages 8 to 13 about where they like to eat, the foods and beverages they enjoy and how they decide what to choose in different foodservice venues to get a perspective on their total lifestyle.  

Y-Pulse has been studying kids' eating habits since 2006.  Although methodologies have evolved since that time, there are some evolutionary changes that can be noted and some of the data from the 2010 study can be compared directly to the 2013 study. 

Read this study to learn more about the kids’ preferences since the 2006 Youth Lifestyle Monitor™:

• Kids have become more positive about school cafeterias and quick service restaurants
• Their favorite place to eat has moved from sit down restaurants to home
• Malls and convenience stores have slipped in preference
• They continue to have positive opinions of restaurants with table service

Leading school foodservice directors across the country were surveyed to gain their perspectives on the use of sugar, artificial sweeteners and corn sweeteners. They shared their own opinions and also their perspectives on how well informed their students, teachers, parents and the media are about credible nutritional information related to sweeteners.

Read this study to learn what school foodservice directors had to say about:

• The use of various types of sweeteners in school foodservice
• School Wellness Policies that have language limiting added sugars and sweeteners
• The opinions of their key audiences — students, teachers and parents

Foodservice manufacturers who serve the college and university market were surveyed to gain their perspectives on trends they see on college campuses across the country.

Read this study to gain insight on the four mega trends indentified for 2011:

• Global Flavors — More than 50% of food manufacturers are introducing new products that relate to global flavors while 46% are developing new ethnic-inspired recipes for their operator customers
• Nutrition — Manufacturers are steadily providing more enhanced nutritional statements to their operator customers
• Food Democracy — Sustainability is the primary Food Ethics trend in colleges today
• Food Ethics — Knowing campus students on each campus is key to understanding the value of price versus ethical standards

If there is one thing that can be said for certain regarding the dining preferences of Millennials, it's that they know what they want and they know when they want it. And if you thought that the most important factor in selecting where to eat was whether or not they have a "fourth meal," think again.

Y-Pulse conducted a survey of Millennials (16-33 year olds) to assess the factors involved in deciding where to eat when eating/ordering out. Read this study to uncover:

• Which service factors matter the most to this age group
• Which menu factors Millennials look for when deciding where to eat
• How they learn about new restaurants to try

This study received the School Nutrition Association Showcase Award for Research in 2010. Y-Pulse tapped 24 leading school foodservice professionals who handle vending operations and over 1,600 elementary school students to explore their attitudes and behaviors related healthy vending in schools.

Foodservice professionals unanimously agreed that product freshness and availability of items was important to their consumers. They also believed that pricing and the method of payment were a top concerns to their students. The appearance of a machine was also important to students' vending choices.

Read this study to find out:

• Which healthy and fresh foods leading school foodservice vending operators felt
• would be most important to their operations
• How important "green" vending strategies are to vending operations in schools
• Which promotion tactics are used to promote healthy vending in schools

For all of their wireless technology and social media interconnectedness, sometimes all college or university students want to do is pick something good, healthy, affordable and convenient with a simple push of a button. Regardless of whether students are pulling all-nighters during finals week or rushing to get to their next class on time, sometimes what they really need is a quick snack.

College and university foodservice professionals who serve nearly 115,000 students nationwide participated in a recent e-focus group where they provided insight about vending operations on college and university campuses. This study reports:

• Concerns of students when choosing vending machine snacks
• Trends affecting today's college and university vending operations
• Challenges operators face when building the "ultimate vending operations"

Aspiring chefs will be the menu makers of tomorrow and they are starting to influence dining trends today, from the use of molecular gastronomy to the increasing incorporation of artisan, farmstead and locally-produced ingredients.

The study is about what chefs of tomorrow are thinking about through a survey of the culinary students, now in their 20s and early 30s. This study provides menu insight from chefs who will be serving their contemporaries. Read it to find out what may likely be on tomorrow's menus:

• Good and good to go: Nine out of 10 respondents said they have used local and hand-held foods "somewhat" or "to a great extent," while more than half said that they have explored the use of green kitchens and foods that meet special dietary needs
• Fab Flav: "Hot" right now flavors include: fruit flavors like citrus, strawberry or mango; vegetable flavors with a roasted or herb-infused profile; and cultural flavors spanning Mediterranean, Asian and Hispanic cuisines. Combinations of flavors were also emphasized
• Form over function: Interest is high in creative forms when presenting foods, from bite-sized or tapas portions to food containers like bread bowls to environmentally-friendly forms with minimal packaging

Kids these days are as unpredictable as the weather. They are interested in one activity one second, and going in the complete opposite direction a minute later. If you want to capture their attention for longer than five minutes, you've got your work cut out for you. That is, if you don't happen to have a warm, fresh baked pizza on hand. Pizza has always been a winner among kids, but it's not the same old cheese and pepperoni-topped quick meal it used to be. Kids' appetites are evolving and maturing. They are open to trying new toppings that most people would never consider putting on top of a pizza. And they're not just eating pizza at home during game night with their parents; they're ordering them at restaurants and grabbing slices in the lunch line of their cafeterias. Read this study to identify:

• The ever-growing list of unconventional toppings kids are trying
• The most important factor when it comes to pizza toppings
• The more nutritious pizza styles kids are requesting

When college and university foodservice directors consider produce, the important factors that come to mind are quality and availability. If asked, foodservice directors most likely could not specify their produce brand of choice, but they could tell you about the variety and size of the produce. Brand loyalty may not be a trait displayed amongst college and university foodservice directors, but they have recognized ways that a branded produce company could get their attention.

College and university foodservice operators were surveyed regarding the different aspects of their purchasing practices at their respective schools. This study explores:

• How often operators receive deliveries and which types of produce companies they prefer
• How a branded produce company can get foodservice operators' attention
• Which value attributes are most important to operators when ordering fresh product

Eating out at restaurants is a large part of American culture. It is not uncommon to see infants in high chairs sitting at tables with their families enjoying meals. Parents have control over what is being ordered, but the ultimate decision belongs to the kids. Although kids enjoy the food on kids' menus, they favor the choices on the adult menus.

A study of 350 kids ages 8-11 was conducted to understand their choices and behaviors when dining out. This study identifies:

• The foods kids are craving in restaurants
• How often kids eat out
• How restaurant preferences change as kids mature

As far as kids' thoughts on eating lunch at school are concerned, there are some days when sandwiches and frozen meals just do not cut it. Though most kids prefer to eat lunch at home or in a sit down restaurant on school days, the cafeteria does offer some popular choices. Regardless of whether it comes in a brown bag or on a tray, there are consistent trends that stick out when it comes to kids' lunches at school.

A survey was conducted to to learn more about how they choose what to eat at school. Read this study and discover:

• What kids really want in their bag lunches
• The items kids love and the items they would not miss
• How bag lunches are being supplemented in school cafeterias

All college and university students have one thing in common-they are always on the move. When it comes to convenience stores, they need something that is easy to get to, that they can get in and out of quickly, and that carries what they want when they want it. While convenience is a major factor that drives college and university students' purchasing decisions, quality and taste are also thoughts that are at the top of these consumers' minds.

A survey was fielded to 171 college and university students which posed questions about convenience retail stores. This study explains:

• How often students shop at convenience locations
• The attributes that grab students' attention and bring them in
• Which items students are purchasing the most-and how often

Most would assume that the college students' eating habits revolve around two things; price and convenience. While these two factors play a major role in meal and purchasing decisions, some report making decisions based on health factors. While nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is becoming increasingly more important to some students, food that is quick, cheap, and tastes good will always be a favorite. Some of today's college and university students are gaining awareness and responsibility for their eating behaviors while others are just gaining the "freshman 15."

A survey of 175 students ranging in ages from 18-25 was fielded to determine what influences them the most when deciding what to eat. This study reports:

• The truth about college students' thoughts on exercise
• The importance of price and how it affects students' choices on where they purchase
• Healthier meal options students are choosing