Food Trends for 2013

What are the food trends we will be seeing in 2013? How will people be shopping and what kind of products will find its way into homes and onto the dinner table?

Here are our predictions for 2013, on food trends that you will see :

1. The increase of The Informed Shopper

In this day and age, there is a larger percentage of folks out there, who do their homework, before their hit the supermarket isles. It’s not just about what’s on your plate, it’s also about how it got there. Learning to read labels and sources of food, is something that many more people have gotten good at and this is drastically changing the way folks shop. Also, the access to better products as luxury grocery stores start to bring in better food but at a premium, means that while things might be getting more expensive, people now at least have a choice. The most dramatic food changes are not what consumers are eating, rather who is doing the shopping and how consumers are eating.

2. The increase of The Alternative Shopper

As people seek for alternative forms nutrition as part of their diet plan, they are looking to different sources of food. Eg. Before people believed that you could only get your omega3 from cold water fish. However, these days, those who do not like meat are getting Omega3 intake from Chia Seeds and flaxseeds. Plants are becoming all the rage as folks are learning they don’t need to eat meat to be fit. Also gluten free, organic and wild farmed vs. the opposite. Consumers will pay more now for an alternative source of product if it is better, safer and of higher quality.

3. The increase of The Male Shopper

With men becoming more comfortable being the homemaker, supermarkets will increase their focus on men as they take on food shopping, meal planning, and cooking. Heck in my household, my hubby does the shopping and he is ever so excited about a new organic product or other, that he has found in the supermarket!

4. The increase of Breakfast Eaters

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – true! And with the lifestyle of executives constantly on the go and the cost of foods on the rise, many have taken to having a good, balanced breakfast, skipping lunch and then having a light dinner.

5. The increase of Ancient Grains in Snacks

High-protein quinoa isn’t just for side dishes anymore. It’s finding its way into sweet snacks and energy bars. All sorts of creative concoctions are emerging and my favourites include, Flaxseed, Chia and Quinoa snacks.

6. The increase in Plant Based Diets

There was a time when vegetarianism was a word associated with the weird and slightly idiotic. Subsisting on plants seemed like the bizarre act of protest of a madman or woman. Why would anyone deny their bodies meat right? However, as data increasingly points to the protective and restorative power of plant-based diets, many are now turning to the whole fruits and vegetables diet. These diets help reduce BP, cholesterol and help in diabetes too. We will definitely be seeing a surge in these diet plans, like never before, in 2013.

7. The increase of foods in supermarkets that are pro-Diabetes, High Blood Pressure & Heart Disease

Yes, walk along the supermarket and you will see – isles dedicated to the diabetic and the infirmed. Times, they are a changing.

8. The increase of human Juicers!

That’s me.. the human juicer. Heck I’d juice anything (healthy). Dump it all in and slurp it all up – gets the immediate shot of nutrients into your blood stream, minus the fight with the fiber etc..  Oh yes, cleansing will play a huge part in many households this year, as people (not unlike me) take to blending their home remedies for the evil that assails our bodies from time to time. Even if you don’t love it, I guarantee it will make your skin glow and your step a little lighter, if you juice!

9. The increase in good, good Bread

The hottest thing since sliced bread is, well, sliced bread! Bread in all from, shape and size. And the bread section is probably the most popular aisle at the grocery store. It’s also the most confusing. Faced with labels ranging from “organic whole wheat” to “seven grain” to “flax and grains,” it’s enough to make your head spin. Of course the most important aspect to look for in bread choice is that it’s 100-percent whole grain, and employing the best grains for your bread. Well, things are on the up, and our choices for good bread are really phenomenal these days. Get used to ridiculously good bread.

10. The increase in Better Burger Buns

Taking off from good bread, we talk about good buns. Not human buns (though that’s nice!) but burger buns.

Since burgers might be shrinking a bit due to the rising cost of meat, attention will turn to homemade gourmet burgers, and what is used to hold them together – the buns. Instead of offering a basic bun, restaurants will be offering patrons a selection, just as they offer various types of meat for their burgers. I am talking gluten-free rice buns, charcoal buns, multigrain rolls, pretzel buns, as just the tip of the iceberg.