What millennial mothers want: A look inside their kitchen

A millennial mother is conscious of the perils of packaged processed foods, hence there is a need to prepare traditional nutritious meals in advance and have the ability to store that freshness for consumption through the day or to refrigerate to re-heat.

By Priyanka Kheruka

The world needs to prepare itself for the next generation of mothers. A study reveals that one out of five moms today is a millennial herself. So who is a millennial mom and what does she need?

Simply decoded, millennial mothers (born between 1981 and 1996) are digitally well-connected, tech-savvy decision makers who are assertive and sure about their needs. Millennial mothers are not only playing the role of a parent but are also most of the time multi-tasking in different ways. They are also willing to experiment and are not only tradition driven, sticking to what their mothers did. In fact, they are adopting new trends deliberately moving away from practices that they themselves followed say even five years ago if there is a better way that convinced them to make a change.

Therefore, it is no surprise that for millennial moms, the kitchen transforms into a multi-purpose utility area, from being a space of personal expression, to a place where she can relax, unwind, entertain, and plan her family’s health and nutrition.

The top three things millennial moms want in their kitchen are products that are:

Functional and aesthetic: Millennial moms are creative in the kitchen. When it comes to products, they want to eat and serve in style daily for themselves and their families and not only to impress guests they entertain. Gone are the days when the glassware came out only for guests or on special occasions. Millennial moms are pushing brands to innovate and fit their changing needs as per their lifestyle. Hence, their kitchen will be filled with products that are functional in design yet good looking.

Healthy: There is a huge shift of moving away from plastic, even products that claim to be BPA free are a no-no today. There is a growing demand for more healthy and hygienic options like glass and steel. Reusable bottles are making a comeback after the ban on single use plastics. For babies they are using glass milk bottles, transitioning to steel cups and school bottles, as parents do not want their children to have any contact with plastic, which run the risk of leeching chemicals into the food, and drink their children consume. Steel tiffin and lunch boxes are seeing an increase in demand and production. Use of opal glass is a trend that is fast catching on, as products made from porcelain are heavy and ceramic can chip easily. Opal glass is light, stackable and does not break easily.

Convenience: In the typical Indian kitchen that we have grown up with, our grandmothers and mothers have always fed us food that has been freshly prepared. While a millennial mother is westernised, there is always an awareness and appreciation for our ancient Indian wisdom and practices. This confluence of a modern life while adopting good traditions has largely influenced the millennial mom. With limited time on hand, fresh food cannot be made immediately. A millennial mother is also conscious of the perils of packaged processed foods, hence there is a need to prepare traditional nutritious meals in advance and have the ability to store that freshness for consumption through the day or to refrigerate to re-heat. This is where they opt for glass and stainless steel containers and lunchboxes, which can store food and be heated conveniently for consumption. Moreover, food does not spoil in such containers and retains the taste. Therefore, along with functionality, convenience is an important deciding factor.

Brands are realising that they need to meet the evolving the needs of these mothers, who form a large part of the Indian consumer demographic.

(The writer is Brand Head, Borosil Glass Works Limited.)

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