Most Popular New Nutrition Trends

Industries are always looking for the big thing, and this year is no different. Whether it is about fitness, health, or fashion, everyone desires the cutting edge in the market and gets positive results. This is also not different when it is to the food industry. We can live without this season’s trending clothing line, but living life without proper nutrition could be damaging to more than just your self-image. Starting from charcoal-infused food to kefir and other varieties of new food trends, last year was about offering products having health benefits. Over the last decade, fast-food concepts, food delivery options, and takeaway services all of which led to the phase of unhealthy eating rising at an alarming rate. But, as it is the end of the year, it is getting more and more apparent that consumers are going back to the practice of mindful eating and health consciousness.

Sustainable and Environmentally-friendly Nutrition 

The experts have observed that consumers are increasingly making food choices based on criteria like environmental impact and sustainability. Furthermore, consumers prefer to buy food products with less packaging, ideally from social and local businesses. They also increasingly select seasonally and regionally grown vegetables and fruits some of those even grow vegetables and fruits themselves at home or in community spaces. 

Vegan and Plant-based Nutrition

Nutrition experts have observed that plant-based and vegan nutrition is moving to the mass market with the increased demand for vegan convenience products, which are ideally packed with environmentally-sustainable packaging. Plant-based and vegan diets are also expanding to the fields of sports nutrition and clinical nutrition. 

Still Crazy for Coconut

Coconut is going strong, and it is featured in snacks like Unreal dark chocolate coconut bars and new bars from Bob’s Red Mill and OHi Food Company from Hawaii. The coconut cream was the main ingredient in the new plant-based yogurts, but this is one great reminder that the dairy-free diet does not specifically mean more nutrition. A plant-based yogurt brand, for instance, has 50% of your daily saturated fat and only 2% of calcium per serving. 

Allergen-free and Allergy Aware

It was usual to see products promoting the status as free from the eight most common allergens, with the symbols declaring dairy-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and a lot more. This was particularly true for all the school-friendly snacks. MetaBall Energy Bites were one of many allergy-friendly snacks on the expo floor. These gluten-free, plant-based snacks were developed by a Ph.D. mom looking for safe, wholesome snacks for her kids who have severe food allergies. 

Alternative Proteins

Consumers are increasingly looking for alternative proteins, especially convenient plant-based foods that replace meat, sausages, and cheese. According to the expert panel, the products can only succeed in the case that they are natural, low in preservatives, and contain a clear and clean ingredients list. Furthermore, the acceptance of clean meat can increase, which is when no fetal bovine serum is needed to grow the meat cells (apart from a competitive price, obviously). 

Meal Replacement & Nutrients on the Go

Traditional food habits are progressively changing: In many modern families, both parents work which can lead, in turn to full-time care of kids in schools and kindergarten. Two decades ago, the most crucial meal in families was lunch, and today it is dinner. So, the employees are increasingly searching for meal replacements and “nutrients that can support them during the long working days. In addition to that, they desire to be able to follow a healthy diet that has plenty of nutrients. “Nutrients on the go” has solutions that can provide supplements or foods based on natural ingredients that enhance the body’s performance. 

Ketogenic Nutrition

Ketogenic diets can be used by a broad range of consumers. For population groups like athletes, there is a trend to decrease supplement intake and implement particular diets instead. A Ketogenic diet, one of those, is a low- carbohydrate, high-fat, but normal protein, 20% of energy intake diet that can force the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates to generate energy. 

Protein Coffee and Other Protein-packed Products

Protein is now showing up in unexpected places, including new protein cold coffee. It was common to see grams of a protein called out on the front of a package label, including on the higher-protein kinds of pasta made with lentils, black beans, edamame, and chickpeas, or on several brands of meat sticks and jerky. Protein is also touted on packages of a new breakfast hummus by Sabra. The portable hummus toast kit includes a cup of chickpea hummus with crispy whole-grain toast and everything bagel seasoning.

Sugar-free Nutrition

Parents are informed about any adverse effects of products that are high in sugar. Due to the need to provide healthy eating habits, the anti-sugar movement can continue and needs to – according to the expert panel – be accompanied by evidence-based campaigns educating parents and children about sugar, sugar substitutes, and sweeteners.

Digestive Wellness

Digestive wellness has been a high-priority trend for many years, and it has been continuously evolving. Here, the key is to ensure a true digestive health benefit is being offered to consumers – foods that can help reduce feelings of gas, bloating, or more severe gastrointestinal symptoms are the focus of this trend. We’ve moved beyond gluten-free to grain-free, as more of a focus is placed on using low-carbohydrate, vegetable-based flour instead of grains in traditional foods.

Conclusion

Trends are followed and abandoned with time. It is not crucial to follow each one diligently, but it is important to be aware of those. This is not always the case regarding the food industry, as being on the trend can hold genuine benefits to overall health. The food trends that are discussed in the article are healthy, easy to follow, and can be a part of the diet you follow for the rest of your life. By enjoying rewards that come from homemade food free from harmful artificial or chemical ingredients and limiting the amount of processed food you consume, staying on-trend has never felt so good.