The Generational Culinary Cycle

[Lemanic]

Let’s talk about food and drinks and what was and what we can expect from the future.

The Baby Boomers were born into the age of the new hot trend called “the frozen food section” with TV-dinners and frozen veggies and meat and thus their revolt was all about NOT that up until they became Yuppies. I can see the conformist Millennial like myself choosing the pre-packaged frozen food version of the Baby Boomer global food revolution in the new high, since I do it now. The Nomad GenX Food Truck culture is now already in the frozen food section where I live.

Also, we Millennials have entered a calorie consciousness revolution right now that aims to destigmatize food and focus on the more relevant terms “calorie surplus” and “calorie deficit”, destroying an entire industry in the process.

Does this look like a discussion worth chewing into?

[sbarrera]

One of the significant Boomer contributions to food culture was the idea of food or beverage as a form of self-denial. Sugar-free, fat-free, calorie-free. What is the point of calorie-free food, one might wonder? It elevates consumption to an act of self-expression, even a display of status, letting the world know you can afford to pay more for your water. The iconic Boomer product is the Diet Coke.

GenXers were more interested in "food as fuel." Just give me the best deal and fill me up so I can go the longest between meals. The iconic GenXer product is the supersized fast food meal.

For Millennials, convenience is still important, but there's an understanding that packaged, processed food is bad for your health (we all know that, GenXers maybe just didn't care so much). In their time, packaged foods have been upscaled, with far more variety of cuisine and preparation options. The iconic Millennial product is the home-delivered meal kit.

Just a few thoughts from me for you to digest!

[David Horn]

Let's not forget the hyper-caffeinated products like Red Bull. No self-respecting Boomer would opt for a $3 Red Bull over a $1.50 Diet Coke. And who's responsible for kombucha?

[sbarrera]

(02-22-2022, 11:46 AM)David Horn Wrote: Let's not forget the hyper-caffeinated products like Red Bull.  No self-respecting Boomer would opt for a $3 Red Bull over a $1.50 Diet Coke.  And who's responsible for kombucha?

Energy drinks - another GenX product. The drink made for Bart Simpson.

[JasonBlack]

My dietary habits are rather typical of the educated class of my generation: lots of keto, loose leaf tea, fish, veggies, etc.

[pbrower2a]

As I recall from the early 1960's, food was incredibly bland. Mashed potatoes often out of a box were the norm in restaurants. Vegetables were boiled to the extent that they lost any semblance of taste. Meats were often cooked to a burn. Even drinks went insipid (easier to drink).

Maybe we have learned to cook meats to medium-rare instead of burnt to a crisp; we have the choice to steam vegetables and more ways to cook potatoes.

OK, it could be that my ethnic mix (mostly German and English) encompasses the worst in culinary achievements. Sure, German women cook pies and cakes, but how can one go wrong with taste if the food gets most of its taste from sugar?