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As the “American consumer” evolves to represent an ever more ethnically diverse and globally connected population, American food culture and trends both reflect and are driven by this diversity.  

As the U.S. grows ever more diverse, it has never been more important to understand how changing demographics affect our food culture and marketplace. Using immigration, racial, and ethnic diversity as a lens to explore how Americans eat today, Exploring the Diversity of American Foodways illuminates what we have in common and what is distinctive in our attitudes and approaches to food, eating, cuisine, health and wellness, sustainability, and food sourcing.  

The Hartman Group has been studying the dynamic food culture of the U.S. for decades. Exploring the Diversity of American Foodways focuses on groups that are often underreported and understudied, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/ Latin Americans, and first- and second-generation immigrants.  

Normally represented as small portions of the general population, this study shines a light on groups whose attitudes and approaches to food often end up in the margins but whose contributions to American food culture punch far above their weight.  

While many consumers have similar ways in which they eat, their cultural background has an impact on what they eat (in terms of flavors and actual dishes), and food is an important way that people maintain a connection to their cultural background.  

Exploring the Diversity of American Foodways builds a more complete picture of what “American food” looks like now and will look like in the future by exploring the values, attitudes, and approaches to cooking, eating, and shopping behaviors of specific, typically underreported demographic groups,  

Table of Contents  

Methodology 
Executive Summary 
1. Diversity in Context 
2. Diversity in Numbers: Demographics, Worldview, Health + Wellness 
3. Culture, Cooking, and Cuisine 
4. Food Shopping and Selection 
5. The Role of Restaurants 
6. Special Focus on Recent Immigrants 
Implications and Recommendations 
Appendix: The Hartman Group’s World of Health + Wellness Model  

Report package includes general report (PowerPoint and PDF), including executive summary, in-depth analysis and implications, and demographic data tables (Excel).  

If you are a Hartman Retainer Services client, this report may be available to you. Questions about Hartman Retainer Services and account representatives, contact: melissa@hartman-group.com