In more recent years it can be seen as a trend that many consumers are disposing of some of their old "unhealthy" products and are transitioning into acquiring foods or products that promote the new "healthy" lifestyle and diet trend. Personally, I think it can be debatable which of these trends are actually beneficial and which can just be considered a fad to create buzz and profits. Either way, this has caused a shift in consumer preferences and behaviors. Not only are consumers purchasing the products directly marketed to this trend but they are also being more mindful of their other products as well. An example could be the recent switch for many consumers from regular cow milk to non-dairy options such as almond, oat, or soy milk. There are conflicting sources of research debating which if any of these can actually be considered the healthiest, most beneficial option but many people still purchase the non-dairy option because it has been made a trend in the media as well as on social platforms. Below I have included a link to an article from UW Medicine that goes into whether or not non-dairy milk is actually healthy. The article compares almost every type of popular "milk" product and eventually comes to the bottom line that dairy milk is still on top for nutritional value but there are healthy alternatives.

https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/body/food/healthy-non-dairy-milk#:~:text=The%20bottom%20line,part%20of%20a%20balanced%20diet(Links to an external site.)

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So, do you think the new healthy lifestyle and diet craze is here to stay? Do you think it is beneficial or potentially harmful or both? How has consumer behavior changed the most from this trend? I will be going more into some facts as well as my opinions on this and more over the course of the semester through this discussion!