Food & Nutrition Trends of 2020 – What to watch for
January 2020
not only marks the start of a new year, but a whole new decade too and as with
every New Year it brings with it new resolutions, new goals, new ideas and new
trends. With December being a month of indulgence for many, January is often
the time where food and drink intake reverts back to normality or sometimes
restriction, with many people participating in dry January (alcohol free month)
and starting varying diets. It is also a time for people to look forward at the
year ahead, so let’s take this opportunity to do just that, and explore the
food and nutrition trends set to make their mark in 2020.
Ancient grains
Despite many people still
debating the question ‘how is quinoa pronounced’, it is a word that is set to
stay as ancient grains, including quinoa, continue to grow in popularity. With
the huge choice of grains now available, each has their own merit and all vary
considerably in flavour, texture and their nutrient
profile. The term ancient grains is used to describe a group of grains that
have been minimally changed by selective breeding and thus remain true, as much
as possible, to their original form consumed in ancient times. These grains include certain varieties of
wheat such as spelt, bulgur and farro as well as oats, barley and
millet. Quinoa, chia and buckwheat are also considered ancient grains.
With many people choosing to
avoid common wheat now due to an increasing number of people suffering with
symptoms they associate with wheat intake, it is no wonder these ancient grains
are gaining popularity, as in some people they can often be better tolerated
than grains which have been highly processed or ‘stripped’ of their
goodness. Gone are the days when all we
had to choose from was plain or self-raising flour as over the last few years
we have seen the choice in flours grow rapidly to include oat, rice, spelt and
buckwheat, which are now all readily available in the big supermarkets.
The health benefits associated
with eating a variety of these ancient grains also help to entice the consumer
as they provide a great source of fibre as well as a great source of various
vitamins and minerals. Much research shows that people who eat grains
regularly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart disease and
stroke as well as reducing the risk of developing diabetes, and some cancers.
This seems to suggest that if you eat ancient grains, you have a better chance
of becoming ancient yourself!
Sugar alternatives
Unless you have been living in
a cave the last three years, you are highly likely to know that sugar has been
completely vilified and large changes have been seen in the food industry where
manufacturers have been actively reducing sugar content in their products. The
bad publicity surrounding sugar has caused a large need and demand for sugar
alternatives and not from artificial sources, but natural ones. This is set to continue with more sugar
alternatives expected to hit the market over the next year. There has been
increased popularity in products such as medjool dates and maple syrup, which
offer great alternatives to refined sugar and can be used successfully in
recipes to sweeten a variety of foods naturally. Other sugar alternatives we
are likely to see this year include syrups derived from fruit and vegetables
such as sweet potato and pomegranate as well as a growth in coconut sugar. Why
not try using one of these sugar alternatives in one of your favourite recipes
instead of refined sugar.
Functional Foods
Functional foods, are foods that have a potentially positive effect on
health beyond basic nutrition. Proponents of functional foods say they promote
optimal health and help reduce the risk of various diseases. This is important
as consumer awareness is growing in relation to the connection between food and
health and we are therefore expecting more from the foods we eat.
We have all heard the popular saying ‘prevention
is better than cure’, and never has this saying been truer. Like it or not,
we are in the grip of a chronic disease pandemic, with rates of cardiovascular
disease, cancers, diabetes and respiratory diseases increasing globally. We
know through ongoing research, that healthy eating and a good diet impacts
significantly on these chronic diseases in a very positive way and we are also
learning that some foods give specific health benefits and protective
properties above and beyond others, which is why functional foods are now seen
as vital for optimum health and disease prevention. This awareness and
popularity in foods that have shown to be ‘functional’ will only continue to
grow over the next decade.
Foods such as artichoke, avocados, cinnamon, chillies, beetroot, ginger and mango, to name a few, are all examples of functional foods so try and add these to your diet wherever possible.
Alcohol Free Beverages
Alcohol free
wines and spirits have been steadily growing in popularity over the last year
and were also a trend of 2019. As people
are becoming more aware of the physical and mental affects
that alcohol can have on the body and the harmful effects that overconsumption,
or frequent consumption, of alcohol can have, many people are now choosing to
significantly cut back on it. Not just for Dry January, but as part of a total
lifestyle overhaul.
This means that alternative drinks such as ‘mocktails’ (cocktails without alcohol’), alcohol free wine or ‘lighter’ wines are becoming increasingly popular and offer a healthier alternative whether at home or out in bars and restaurants. If you are not convinced by this just remember that regular and overconsumption of alcohol is associated with increased risk of several cancers, it affects sleep quality and energy levels and has a detrimental effect on the immune function, so surely that gives a few good reasons to look out for more variety in alcohol-free or lighter alcohol drinks. If you have not tried them yet, make it a resolution for 2020, as I will almost guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.
Plant
Based Foods
The popularity in plant based
foods continues to dominate the food market, not just because of the popularity
of veganism, which continues to grow, but also because consumer knowledge
continues to increase on the health benefits of consuming more plant based
foods in the diet, irrespective of whether you eat meat or not.
The increase in people choosing a
vegan lifestyle is of course driving food manufacturers and restaurants to
develop and make exciting and tasty meat free options, which are often heavily
plant and protein based. But there is also an increasing trend for meat-plant
blends, whereby meat eaters can still enjoy meat in their diet, but know they
are also getting an increase in nutritious plant based foods too. An example of
this can be seen with burgers where there are now burgers available that
contain smaller volumes of meat and are bulked out with plant based foods such
as mushrooms or pulses. This will appeal to a greater consumer audience,
including flexitarians (people who are
mainly vegetarian but still eat some meat products in small amounts).
Nut
Butters
Peanut butter may be the original
nut butter, but since the launch of that many years ago, it has now become just
one of many nut butters freely available. One thing that is fuelling this trend
is the growing awareness of the health benefits of all the different nut
varieties, in particular their benefits for heart health. The increase in
peanut allergy over the years has also created a demand for other nut butters.
One thing we will be seeing an increase in this year will be the reduction of
palm oil in some of these butters, or certainly a swap to using responsibly
sourced palm oil as consumers demand more environmentally friendly food.
Sustainable Eating & Environment
As mentioned above, consumers
are more aware than ever before of the environmental impact that some foods
have on the environment and due to this, many people are now choosing to change
their shopping habits and food choices to ensure that the foods they eat are
ones that have limited or low impact on the environment. Eating sustainably is
much easier than you may think and everyone can easily do their bit and help
with this.
Shopping locally
wherever possible is a great way to eat sustainably. Whether it’s fish, meat,
dairy, fruit, or vegetables, purchasing these from local shops and independents
not only helps to encourage local food production, but also significantly
reduces your carbon footprint.
Eating seasonal produce where you can also helps sustainability, although this can be harder here in the UK where we rely so heavily on imports of foods that we just cannot and do not grow or produce in this country. However it can still be done with some produce and making just one or two changes in your food selection will all add up to help the wider picture.
Hopefully the
trends above may have inspired you to think about any changes you might like to
make with your food choices this New Year. You don’t even have to be a trend
follower, you could think about making and setting your own personnel trends! Wishing
you all a Happy and Healthy New Year ahead!