The snacks market is booming, and discerning consumers want to be inspired and surprised as they seek more than the usual nutritional sustenance or standard tastes. What they really want to consume is an emotional connection.

Can our eating habits represent our identity? We sat down with Eating right in America author Charlotte Biltekoff to discuss how what we eat aligns with our aspirations and ethical codes, and our shifting perceptions of health.

While some people are bypassing the butcher in favour of curing their own meats, another set can’t be bothered to even turn on the oven and are sending the posh ready meal market soaring. But as people's tastes split into two extremes, what’s prompted these new habits?

The overall ready meal market in the UK is in decline, but there’s one sector that’s showing growth: premium ready meals. With people wanting to cook more at home and avoid ready meals due to increased health awareness, do premium ready meals offer the best of both worlds?

The American appetite for fast food is waning. Instead, people are hungry for experiences. In response, fast food chain Taco Bell has launched an upmarket Mexican-American restaurant brand, aimed at a Millennial demographic demanding fresh, gourmet food in a casual setting.

Over 90% of Brits say they make unhealthy food choices due to lack of time, while more than half eat whilst on the move or sat at their desk at work. My Fit Lifestyle – a health range and service from Tesco – aims to help time-strapped professionals avoid unhealthy foods.

With Britons doing more online shopping than any other nation, high street retailers are finding new ways to lure people through their doors. London's EAT17 is a one-stop shop, offering kitchen towels, gourmet sausages, a quick burger or fancy evening meal, all under one roof.

Whether coffee or chocolate, pizza or pencils, connoisseurship has become a pastime for the masses. But if anyone can become a connoisseur of anything, will the concept lose its mystique?