CHICAGO, May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new health
food trend pops up just about every month, and the analysts at
GrubHub, the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering
company, set out to track these crazes in the takeout space.
GrubHub's order analysis shows that chia seeds, quinoa and almond
milk rank among 2014's trendiest "health" foods, with these
trendier orders most heavily concentrated in Boulder, Colo., Chicago and Los
Angeles.
To uncover some of the fastest-growing health food fads at
takeout restaurants across the country, GrubHub analysts examined a
year's worth of order data, focusing on foods and ingredients
touted for their health benefits. Findings reveal that the
following items registered the largest order spikes in the last
year:
2014 Trending Health Foodsi
- Chia seeds – 140%
- Quinoa – 110%
- Almond milk – 110%
- Kale – 99%
- "Raw" foods – 59%
- Gluten-free – 52%
- Pressed juice – 38%
GrubHub's analysis also considered where these types of food
trends are most geographically concentrated, with the following
cities ranking highest for their percentage of trending health fad
orders:
Health Fad Early Adopters
- Boulder, Colo.
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Seattle
- New York
- San Jose
- San Diego
- St. Louis
- Miami
- Austin
"GrubHub order data is an incredible indicator of new food
trends," said GrubHub Inc. president, Jonathan Zabusky, noting that GrubHub primarily
works with independent restaurateurs who can test out trends and
quickly add new menu items. "Menu flexibility like this is a
luxury, and it puts our restaurants at the forefront of industry
trend-setting," he added.
Additional Health-Related Food Ordering Trends
Besides identifying food fads and where they're most concentrated,
GrubHub's health trend analysis also uncovered additional insights
about health food-ordering habits:
- Gluten-free items, kale and pressed juices are the most
popular health food orders, respectively.
- Women are 44 percent more likely than men to order trendy
health foods from takeout restaurants: Hemp seed (110% more common
with women), chia seeds (66%), almond milk (63%), kale (61%) and
quinoa (57%).
- Trendy health food orders are 110 percent more commonly placed
during breakfast than throughout the rest of the day.
- College students are nearly 50 percent less likely to
participate in these health food trends than the average
diner.
Please check out GrubHub's GIF, which shows the spread of kale
orders – one of the year's most popular food fads – from
independent restaurants in Chicago, Los
Angeles and New York. To
find takeout restaurants available in your area, please visit
GrubHub.com, and for more information on GrubHub Inc., please visit
http://media.grubhub.com.
About GrubHub Inc.
GrubHub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and
mobile food ordering company dedicated to connecting hungry diners
with local takeout restaurants. The company's online and mobile
ordering platforms allow diners to order directly from more than
29,000 takeout restaurants in more than 700 U.S. cities and
London. Every order is supported
by the company's 24/7 customer service teams.
i Percentage increase calculated by comparing year
over year order volume percentage
SOURCE GrubHub Inc.