Healthy eating is nothing new, and consumers have long looked to food as part of their wellness goals. In the past decades, processors have met consumer needs by offering products such as low-fat dairy that supposedly helped people keep their weight down.

Americans' love affair with cheese is defying gravity. According to Chicago-based market research firm IRI, over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, natural cheese retail sales were swinging high through the air.

Retail ice cream sales might not have being eating fire this year, but they certainly have been on fire. Over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, dollar sales in the ice cream subcategory of the larger ice cream/sherbet category were up 13.4% (to $6,841.8 million).

Ask 10 people what "sustainability" means to them, and you'd probably get 10 different answers. Its dictionary definition is simple: the ability to sustain something at its current level. And dairy companies, many of which have already existed for over a century, might know a thing or two about that.

You could say that chocolate and dairy are a match made in heaven, though some of today's health-minded consumers consider the duo sinful indulgence.

The small town of Ellsworth, Wis., which is tucked into the Northwest corner of Wisconsin close to the Twin Cities, has a big claim to fame. In a state renowned for its cheese curds, it was the town designated the "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin" due to being home to the eponymous Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is so known for its cheese curd production that former Gov. Anthony S. Earl named Ellsworth, Wis., the town where the company is based, the "Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin" in 1984.

Despite their dietary differences, dairy-eaters, flexitarians and vegans share a commonality: paying attention to the amount of protein they consume.

Today's dairy processors have to cater to a group of consumers who want it all, from reduced-sugar and lactose-free products to long shelf lives and clean labels. So how could they create dairy offerings that meet so many different needs?

There are many unknowns in these early days of the COVD-19 pandemic, but one thing is clear: People will be eating many more meals at home for the near future.