Being that Hispanics/Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States -according to Pew Research Center, there are almost 52 million Hispanics/Latinos in America- and the fastest-growing one, it should come as no surprise that U.S. culture will be impacted by Hispanics/Latinos. New data from The NPD Group has found that one of the areas the U.S. will see the biggest change over the next five years, courtesy of the rising minority population, is its food culture.

“Generation Z, Millennials, and Hispanics will be the growth drivers of this country's eating patterns over the next five years,” reports Perishable News.

In their report, titled "The Future of Eating: Who's Eating What in 2018?," the authors reveal that the future generation will opt for "from-scratch preparation" over prepackaged box foods from the grocery store. What's more, the report finds that food culture will grow by 8 percent, the implementation of healthy additives in meals will grow by 8 percent, and there will be an emphasis on preparing fresh breakfast foods that require more prep and cooking time.

Within the Latino/Hispanic community, the report informs that the immigrant population (and its future generations) will continue preparing traditional Latin dishes. This trend, coupled with the hype and rising minority population, leads experts to believe that Latin-style meals will make their way into the restaurant industry and more options will be available in the grocery stores, whether it is individual ingredients or prepared foods in the frozen food aisle.

The consumption of Hispanic foods, excluding frozen, is forecast to increase by 7 percent over the next five years among U.S. Hispanic Millennials. This group's preference is also for foods that are fresh and natural and that enable the cook to control the flavoring of the end product.

America's food culture adapting to the Hispanic/Latino community ultimately is a numbers game: With an increasing minority population, the purchasing power of Hispanics/Latinos rises as well. According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth, the purchasing power of Hispanics in 2012 was $1.2 trillion (and is estimated to reach $1.5 trillion in 2015) and Hispanic households are more likely to spend a higher proportion of their money on food (groceries and restaurants) than their peers.

Source: Published originally on LatinTimes.com as Latinos Will Change US Food Culture, Says NPD Group Research: Find Out Why by Susmita Baral, May 15 2014.

Adult Hispanic Millennials love traditional Latin foods and are more likely than non-Hispanics to cook with fresh ingredients. They are also more likely to enjoy cooking and to use fresh ingredients than their non-Hispanic peers, this according to a report by Insight Tr3s, based on an analysis of Simmons data on traditional foods and cooking habits among adult Hispanic Millennials (ages 18 to 29).

Among some of the findings:

Traditional Hispanic/Spanish and American Foods

• More than 8 out of 10 adult Hispanic Millennials enjoy eating traditional Hispanic/Spanish food.
• A slightly smaller majority – 7 out of 10 – enjoy eating traditional American food.
• Close to half (48%) buy more Hispanic/Spanish foods and products than American.

Cooking and Food Preparation

Compared with non-Hispanic Millennials, Hispanic Millennials like cooking more and have more of a tendency to use fresh ingredients. Foreign-born and US-born Hispanics enjoy cooking, though US-born Hispanics are developing more of a taste for ready-to-eat foods.

• Hispanics are slightly more likely than non-Hispanics to really enjoy cooking.
• Compared with non-Hispanics, Hispanics are more likely to look for the freshest ingredients when they cook.
• Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanics to look for organic or natural foods when shopping.
• Hispanics are far less likely than non-Hispanics to say simple, easy-to-prepare foods are their favorites (41% Hispanic, 52% non-Hispanic).
• Overall, Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanics to eat prepared foods. Hispanics are much less likely to eat store-made, pre-cooked meals (20% Hispanic, 29% non-Hispanic).
• Hispanics are also less likely than non-Hispanics to say they don’t have time to prepare and eat healthy meals (26% Hispanic, 32% non-Hispanic).            
• Overall, Hispanics 18-29 are more likely to report an interest in nutrition and dieting. Hispanics 25-29 are more likely than 18-24s to focus on nutrition and health, while the 18-24 segment has a slightly higher tendency to diet to lose weight. Foreign-born Hispanics are generally more likely than US-born to report making choices based on health and dieting -- but when it comes to purchase behavior they are as likely or more to buy full-fat dairy products, pre-sweetened cereals, and non-diet cola.
• Hispanics 18-29 are more likely than non-Hispanics to say that nutritional value is the most important factor in what foods they eat.
• Hispanics 25-29 are more likely than 18-24s to say they're trying to eat healthier foods these days.

Hispanics are far more likely than non-Hispanics to purchase full-fat yogurt and smoothies. For pre-sweetened cold cereals, Hispanics also lead non-Hispanics, though US-born are more likely to purchase these.

Source: Insight Tr3s, Hispanic Millennials: How They Feel About Traditional Foods and Cooking, based on  Experian Simmons, Winter 2012 NHCS Adult Survey 12-month, September 5, 2012.