Americans and Canadians Divided Over Sweet vs. Salty, Both Like Convenience

NPD reports reveal differences and similarities as well as projected regional eating patterns.

May 26, 2011

CHICAGO ?" Two studies released earlier this week by The NPD Group reveal the food preferences of Canadians and Americans.

According to A Look into the Future of Eating: Canadian Marketplace and A Look into the Future of Eating: United States Marketplace, Americans will increase their consumption of sweet snacks and desserts three times more than Canadians over the next decade, while Canadians?? love of salty and savory snacks will outpace their population growth over the next decade.

The breakfast daypart shows a sharp divergence of cultural tastes, with Americans likely to increase their consumption of "heat and eat" breakfast foods, while Canadians will be decreasing their consumption of the same products. Americans are also projected to increase their consumption of salads, warm side dishes, and meat and fish over the next 10 years at higher rates than Canadians.

"Eating behaviors are influenced by a variety of factors and certainly culture is among those factors," said Ann Hanson, executive director, product development, NPD U.S. and author of A Look into the Future of Eating: United States Marketplace. "Americans and Canadians have many of the same foods and beverages available to them but what, how, when and where we eat does reflect the totality of a country??s culture."

The two reports provide 10-year forecasts of eating trends based on generational influences and population, covering a range of food and beverage categories, including preparation methods, meal situations and other food-related behaviors.

Convenience was a common factor in the consumption of foods for both Americans and Canadians, with easy meals expected to grow equally in both countries over the next decade.

"Although the U.S. and Canada share a continent, it??s important for food and beverage companies marketing in both countries to understand that the likes, dislikes, needs and wants of each country??s consumers are different and will be different in the future," Hanson said. "The findings of the Future of Eating studies have major implications for food companies in terms of long-term product and packaging innovation, distribution and recipe development."

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