6 Top Trends in Prepared Foods, Plus 1 I Wish They Added
I am not one to follow what’s trending. I don’t look for the newest trends in fashion or what is hot on the music charts. In fact, I try my hardest to avoid trends and to be unique. However, I stumbled upon an article about food trends that caught my eye.
The article, “Veganism has grown 500% since 2014 in the US,” states that 6% of Americans identify as vegan, which is up from 2014 when 1% reported being vegan. This data was derived by GlobalData and outlined in the report: “Top Trends in Prepared Foods 2017.”
Unfortunately, I can’t afford to purchase and review the entire report, but the executive summary states that there is more consumer awareness of the impact of meat consumption leading consumers to seek out more ethical, environmentally sustainable and healthier foods.
The report lists six trends:
1.) Go Meat-Free: Rising veganism and awareness of the impact of meat consumption are driving demand for meat-free products substitutes.
2.) Premiumized Junk Food: High-quality ingredients can raise the image of food categories that are traditionally seen as unhealthy.
3.) Healthy Swaps: Consumers are becoming savvier about food ingredients, so offering alternative prepared foods with enhanced health benefits will appeal.
4.) Inspiration Borrowers: Borrowing ideas from other food categories to inspire novel innovations creates opportunities to attract experimental consumers and capitalize on social media exposure.
5.) Fresh and Easy: Time-scarce consumers seek convenience but also want to cook their food with fresh and natural ingredients. Meal kits offer both aspects to appeal to these consumers.
6.) Ethical Eating: Consumers connect ethical and sustainable lifestyles with wellbeing and wellness, creating demand for more ethical prepared foods.
Going meat-free and eating ethically are two worthwhile trends driving the increase in veganism.
However, I wish there were more food waste trends. Many companies (Misfit Juicery, The Real Dill, Regrained) are taking perfectly edible food that would have been wasted and repurposing it into new products. Other companies are selling CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares of imperfect produce. Let’s support these and other food waste projects so that next year’s trend list includes more food waste efforts and further leads us down the path towards a more sustainable diet.
One final note: let’s not make the meat-free and ethical eating temporary, short lived trends. Let’s make them a lifestyle. Let’s make them a way of living, a way of loving and a way of caring for the earth, others and ourselves.
