Healthy lifestyle menu
In the restaurant industry last year, customers swapped plates for plates in the hopes of getting healthier food. The trend emerged in the era of the pandemic and continues to grow: dishes from Buddha bowls to simply the label “this recipe is a healthy lifestyle” appear on the menu.
The new generation is ready to pay more for organic matter, informed choice, wild fishing and “what does not harm.” The term “hyper-local” has appeared in everyday life – supporting local food is becoming not only a trend, but also a necessity due to a disruption in the supply chain. And chefs often choose to work with what is available, maximum maturity and quality.
– removal of processed and refined food from technical cards of restaurants;
– a benchmark for local food and seasonal products;
– products of small farms;
– revision of portions: from quantity to nutritional value;
– a noticeable emphasis on vegetarian and vegan positions.
It is also possible to note the growth of emphatically ethnic preferences; small menus that beat thick tomes; QR codes for granted, and the rise in deliveries. Organic prices and conscious consumption will continue to rise.
Accent Vegan
People eat less meat, and plant-based positions on the menu continue to evolve. It is bright, it is easier for digestion; a vegan can balance and can be satiating. Vegan menu items are now attractive not only for those who follow a diet based on inner convictions, but also for flexitarians, vegetarians, and even adherents of an omnivorous diet. People are less likely to choose a protocol “diet” and are more likely to go in the direction of what suits their particular body.
Some restaurants are introducing more plant-based dishes as a main menu item, along with poultry, cheeses and fish. It’s not just about vegetables and herbs: the focus is on old-new cereals (teff, amaranth, sorghum), and dozens of varieties of legumes and root crops. Plant-based – in all segments of the market.
The term whole foodies increasingly describes people who are not really vegetarians or vegans but tend to eat less meat, dairy, and eggs – mostly for environmental reasons. Redutarians (from the English ‘reduction’) choose drinks based on soy milk, not cow milk, lunch with falafel, not burger, and steak – once a month, not once a week.
Good fats
Avocado and almond milk are losing ground to seeds: hemp kernels, pumpkin seeds, flax, sunflowers, and tahini burst into the food arena. This results in new flavors, good nutritional content, more vegetable protein and phytonutrients. Well, ensuring healthy fats in the diet is still a guarantee of long-term saturation, and a slow release of sugars into the blood, and the correct work of fat-soluble vitamins.
Tea and low alcohol drinks
Finally, the quality of products in the mass segment began to affect good tea. Good – with an understanding of the origin of the product, from terroir and country to taste. As with wine. On Pinterest “tea party aesthetic” and “drinking tea pose” appear in inquiries more and more often. As with wine, you can make choices based on country, on varieties, on previous preferences, or find a good tea sommelier, expert or ceremony. In addition to the tea boom, there is a resurgence of dinner parties and nostalgic, old, familiar recipes.
Globally, there is a trend towards a decrease in alcohol consumption. Consumers do not give up alcohol entirely, but the pandemic and conscious eating and drinking are doing their job. In addition to renewed pursuit of “healthier” habits, the demand for low-alcohol drinks (31%), including low-alcohol dry ciders and wines with 10-11% alcohol (instead of 13-14%), is growing, according to the London-based research organization IWSR.
Mental health
The focus in 2022 will be on mental health and work with the body and mind, including through food and drink. Mental health experts explain that the state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and ongoing stress continues to grow. The political and economic climate and stressors caused by the pandemic are just the tip of the iceberg. And it’s not about dietary supplements and nutraceuticals in correcting the state, but working with the mental through awareness and a plate. There is a growing demand for foods and supplements that help cope with stress and burnout, for plant components, herbs and adaptogens: rhodiola, ashwagandha, hemp kernels, higher mushrooms like cordyceps.
Turmeric
I have been a member of the turmeric sect for a long time and have been writing about its functional benefits. I can’t get enough of it: she’s on the trend list again. Turmeric has been at the top of the list of food trends for several years now. And for 2022, the list compiled by Whole Foods Market experts is no exception. It’s not just about its anti-inflammatory properties; Turmeric paved the way for other hot spices and peppers with similar properties: pipali pepper, black cumin, chili chips, gochujang, harissa, sugu, and sambala. They give flavor to dishes even without adding salt, and also have a biochemically beneficial background.
Personalized meals
In the nutritional market, we expect the growth of metabolic panels, epigenetic studies, which means that personally and through analyzes to understand how food affects a particular person, and how it affects a particular biome. Research on the social functions of food, predicting food patterns, microbiology and disease risks are in the focus not only at HORECA, but also in laboratories. The main message is that people cannot respond in the same way to the same interventions. There is no one-size-fits-all diet.
In addition to what and how much we eat, the timing at which we eat (chrono feeding) can play an important role in maintaining our biological rhythms and overall health.
Non-invasive biosensors, genetic analyzes in the field of nutrition and assimilation, programs for correcting conditions, proposals for assessing the microbiome and constant glucose motoring are also at their peak. Specialists will be divided into narrower specializations in connection with the needs of concierge medicine (hormonal management, autoimmune management).
