As a society, we’re taking our health and wellbeing more seriously than ever before, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the realm of food. Whether you enjoy cooking at home or prefer to dine out, here are some of the most popular food trends that you’ll be seeing everywhere this year.
• Plant-based dishes. A lot of us are eating less and less meat, and over the past few years plant-based nutrition has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream lifestyle. With so many delicious ingredients, recipes, and endless amounts of Instagram inspiration, even die-hard omnivores will enjoy creating and eating dishes that primarily consist of vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, and fruits.
• Sustainable foods and farming practices. These days we all care where our food comes from, and it’s important to know that ingredients are as sustainable as possible and ethically sourced. As such, it’s becoming common practice to do some online research before shopping. For example, Windows Catering follows the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list when purchasing seafood, to ensure that we’re always making ocean-friendly choices.
• Healthy snacking. Let’s face it, we all love eating a little something between meals, so it makes sense to snack on health-boosting superfoods like berries, nuts and seeds, avocados, yoghurt, and green tea. Now that intermittent fasting is becoming more popular, healthy snacks are are a great way to break a fast in the late morning or afternoon. They’re also great to take to the office, for those mornings when lunchtime seems like it will never arrive.
• Cruciferous vegetables. Cabbage and broccoli rabe are outstanding vegetable choices right now, and cauliflower is almost magical in its versatility. It can be prepared as a starter or entrée in its own right, or used as a base ingredient to make crusts, rice, gnocchi, and a variety of other substitutes for starchy carbs.
• A wider range of flours. Gone are the days when we were limited to wheat or corn flour; now it’s easy to find a variety of choices like almond flower, cauliflower flour, coconut flour, chick pea flour, amaranth flour, banana flour, cashew flour, and hazelnut flour. Each has its own merits, and if you like cooking and baking you’ll enjoy experimenting to see what is possible.
• CBD oils. The rising star of the health supplement world is also starting to appear as a meal enhancement. High-quality CBD oils can be used in various ways – added to salad dressing, mixed into pesto, or drizzled sparingly over avocado toast, to name a few.
The great news is that not only are these trends good for you, they make for delicious snacks and meals, as well. Expect to see all of them more frequently on menus this year, and of course you can also start incorporating them into your own cooking, to bring new life into the food you prepare for your family and friends.
If you do enjoy having friends over for dinner, be sure to check back, as next week we’ll follow up with this year’s top trends for entertaining.