• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, March 13, 2013

Hispanics enjoy cooking a wide, eclectic, variety of foods; are very concerned about the nutritional content of foods; and employ the Internet for information and recipes both during and in between food shopping trips. 

In other words, many key food trends among Hispanics parallel those of the general population, judging from the findings of a new report on Hispanic cooking, eating and food shopping trends from Meredith Hispanic Ventures, publishers of Siempre Mujer and Ser Padres magazines. The online survey was conducted by Hispanic Ventures’ research department between Nov. 16 and Dec. 14, 2012, among the 5,000 loyal, influential subscribers in its “Entre Nosotras” (“Between Us”) database. 

Latinas confirmed that they are not only shopping the Hispanic aisle – they have eclectic palettes and enjoy cooking a wide variety of foods. They want to learn more about global cuisines, and they continue to seek samples and coupons to learn about new products.

Yet, many food manufacturers still “don’t think to target this growing segment with their product offerings,” observed Enedina Vega-Amaez, VP/publisher of Meredith Hispanic Ventures. Given that Hispanics represent 16% of the total U.S. population, and Hispanic households are on average larger than overall U.S. households and spend more money on groceries, this obviously represents a missed opportunity.

The survey also found nearly four in five Latina respondents reporting that they read nutrition labels, because they care about purchasing foods low in fat, high in fiber and low in sugar. More than half buy organic products.

Nearly half report that they use a mobile or smartphone to assist them while shopping. More than half (55%) of those who use recipes get them from the Internet, and 60% search for recipes in Spanish.  

Similar to the general market, convenience is very important to Latinas. Respondents said they use disposable plates, towels and utensils, and they buy frozen vegetables, canned soups and protein bars.

"Hispanics Family Eating photo from Shutterstock"