Particularly in times when money is tight, businesses focus on how to best attract the attention of consumers in a more limited market. A recent survey by IBM found exactly that; 72% of U.S. consumers have made “significant spending cuts” due to economic concerns, and as businesses know, in a tighter market, it’s more important than ever to gauge consumer attitudes and priorities.

Meat reduction is a dietary trend that is more and more prevalent among all segments of the population as more consumers focus on health, animals, and the environment. As a result, more consumers are exploring vegetarian food products to address their concerns.

According to Whole Foods Market’s annual Food Shopping Trends Tracker Survey, consumer shopping, cooking, and eating habits in America continue to change, prodded along, of course, by the economy.

School’s back in session and around the country, kids are brown-bagging it or choosing lunch items in the school cafeteria. So what are our children eating while they’re hitting the books in the classroom? According to the School Nutrition Association’s 2009 report on school lunch programs around the country, more and more children have a choice between vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

Today’s youth (under age 18) are a new breed of consumers who are also coming of age in terms of buying power. They learn quickly, they respond quickly, they are tech savvy, and most importantly to veg companies, they know the issues. In fact, the upcoming generation of consumers expects information almost instantly from digital sources including Twitter, smart phones, and other sources, and what they don’t know, they can find out — with just a few clicks of a button.