Healthy trend: The Top 10 Healthy Food Trends to Expect in 2023
The Top 10 Healthy Food Trends to Expect in 2023
Although arguably the biggest food news of the past year was the rising cost of groceries, which will no doubt continue to have an impact as we head into 2023, there have also been advances in plant-based products, reducing food waste, and functional foods and drinks that may give everyone something to look forward to in the new year.
This could be the year we finally see ethical, lab-grown meat on the market and get a decent vegan fish sandwich. To discuss those and other emerging trends, we consulted Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, New York City–based author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table, and Kelly Kennedy, RDN, staff dietitian for Everyday Health. Here, they share their thoughts on the most important healthy food trends we’re likely to see in 2023.
1. Economical Eats
While food prices won’t grow at the staggering rate they did in 2022 — which was as much as 12 percent — they will continue to rise above historical average rates, according to data from the U.
S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That means more people saving money by preparing their own meals at home, given that eating out costs more than 3 times as much, on average, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm.
It also means looking for ways to save on groceries. “A lot of people, especially people with larger families, are going to have to look for affordable options in order to stay on budget,” says Kennedy. “I definitely think people are going to be watching where they place their food dollars more closely.” Inexpensive protein sources, like tinned fish and canned beans and legumes, could become more popular, while more expensive cuts of meat might take a back seat.
2. More Plant-Based Options
Speaking of meat, you’re likely to see even less of it come the new year. A report in Progressive Grocer says that 27 percent of people are choosing to consume less meat. As a result, interest in healthy alternatives is high. Sales of plant-based foods grew three times faster than foods overall, according to data released in March 2022 and reported by the Good Food Institute (GFI) (PDF).
In the plant-based meat category, burgers are the most popular, but manufacturers are introducing more sausage links and patties and chicken nuggets, tenders, and cutlets, according to the GFI. Plant-based seafood is a small but growing part of the market, including the first frozen vegan sushi and onigiri from Konscious Foods, a brand founded by the same entrepreneur who launched the meat-free burger brand Gardein.
You can also expect to see more replacements for other animal-based foods including dairy and eggs, according to a report from Expert Market Research. Products like Just Egg (which was picked up by coffee chain Starbucks to test in a new menu this year) and Zero Egg offer options for people with allergies and vegans.
3. Plants in More Places
The emphasis on plant-based eating hasn’t only spawned more meat, poultry, and seafood alternatives, it’s also inspiring new ways to eat fruits and vegetables.
“A lot of people are realizing that they can welcome more plants to their plates without becoming vegetarians,” Taub-Dix says.
She sees an uptick in creative uses of vegetables and fruits as people strive to hit that five-a-day recommendation — for example, avocado or kale sauce in place of butter.
Packaged foods manufacturers are also heeding the call for creative plant-based products by incorporating fruits, vegetables, and legumes into pantry staples like pasta. You can find varieties made from chickpeas, lentils, edamame, spaghetti squash, green bananas, and hearts of palm in stores like Whole Foods. These products allow people with food allergies or sensitivities to enjoy pasta, and tend to have more protein and fiber and fewer carbs than traditional pasta, which means they may have less of an effect on blood sugar levels. “It’s a great way to eat pasta without the guilt that so many people feel,” says Taub-Dix.
4. Cultured Meat
Late in 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) okayed the first sale of cultured meat, aka meat grown in a lab. While the product still needs to receive clearance from the USDA before it can be sold, it appears likely that will happen in the coming year.
The manufacturer, Upside Foods, hopes to significantly decrease consumption of conventionally raised chicken with its meat, and along with it, reduce the environmental and ethical impact of chicken farming.
With lab-grown meat, producers extract cells from an animal, then grow meat from those cells. Biologically, it’s the same as animal meat, but no animals need to be killed. It could reduce the carbon footprint of meat consumption, since it doesn’t produce methane gas like grazing animals do. And, it is less likely to spread the foodborne illnesses people can get from animals.
Foods like these might give people the opportunity to fight climate change, avoid antibiotics and unwanted chemicals in meat, and get more functional benefits from the foods they eat compared with conventional foods. But how well the products actually live up to such claims remains to be seen, says Taub-Dix.
5. Eco-Conscious Eating
More Americans are not only eating with their own health in mind, but also the health of the planet.
Climatarian diets are on the rise as people embrace sustainability at the supermarket. In fact, in a 2022 survey by Cargill, more than half of respondents said they would be more likely to purchase packaged foods that made a sustainability claim on the label.
There’s an even newer twist, which some industry insiders are calling the “regenivore diet,” according to Natural Grocers, that involves not just eating healthfully and sustainably, but actually helping to restore the ecosystem by supporting practices like regenerative agriculture and reusing or “upcycling” parts of foods previously discarded in the manufacturing process.
Food waste has come under more scrutiny in recent years, but is still a big issue, with more than one-third of the U.S. food supply going to landfills or compost heaps, according to the FDA. People are trying to cut down on food waste with meal planning strategies, says Kennedy, but manufacturers are also tackling the problem with upcycling.
Whole Foods Market, for instance, announced that it will begin selling oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made using ingredients leftover from oat milk production in its bakeries in the spring of 2023.
Renewal Mill is a brand that makes baking mixes from upcycled ingredients to help fight food waste and climate change, and there are even beverages, like Reveal, a prebiotic and antioxidant-rich drink made from discarded avocado pits.
6. Mood-Boosting Foods
The interest in functional foods and beverages remains strong, and while the emphasis has been on immunity in the wake of the pandemic, now there’s also an interest in feel-good foods that help fight depression, ward off dementia, and support brain health.
The Mintel 2023 Global Food and Drink Trends report highlights brands promoting the brain-boosting benefits of foods and drinks that contain caffeine, magnesium, B vitamins, and zinc. Natural Grocers reports that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are in demand because they have been shown to improve symptoms of mood disorders. Expect to hear a lot about natural nootropics, as detailed in research — substances that claim to enhance cognitive functioning, such as L-theanine in green tea, ginseng, lion’s mane mushroom, and gingko biloba.
The jury is still out on whether these ingredients can actually help pending further research, however.
7. More Mocktails
Fewer people are drinking alcohol, and those that do aren’t drinking as much. A 2021 Gallup report found that 60 percent of U.S. adults imbibe at least occasionally, down from 65 percent in 2019. And people average 3.6 drinks per week, the lowest recorded since 2001. Kennedy expects these trends to continue, especially through Dry January.
“People are looking for ways to celebrate and have fun without drinking as regularly as they had before, and with fewer calories,” she says. That means they’re reaching for alcohol-free spirits, beer, and wine.
Non-alcoholic wine can have just 9 calories per glass, while a light wine may have 73 calories and most wines pack about 109 to 120 calories, according to My Food Data. And limiting alcohol reduces your risk of alcohol-related health problems. Celebrities joining the trend include Blake Lively, who launched a line of nonalcoholic drink mixes under the brand Betty Buzz, and Bella Hadid, whose is affiliated with Kin Euphorics, a line of adaptogenic beverages.
8. Food for Your Gut
People are interested in caring for their gut health, even though there are still a lot of questions around which foods are best and whether to take supplements. Natural Grocers reported that 44 percent of Americans report taking supplements over the last 12 months in hopes of improving their gut health.
“I think that is going to continue to grow as more and more research shows the direct impact that taking care of your microbiome can have on your overall health,” Kennedy says.
Foods that support your gut health, called probiotics, include yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented cheeses, tempeh, miso, kombucha, and pickled vegetables. Recently, she’s also seen probiotics added to other foods, especially beverages. “Those might be better choices than soda, but it might not be the best way to get those items into your body,” she says. Prebiotics and postbiotics will also figure big as more is learned about the necessary nutrients to support gut health.
9. Seafood
Americans still don’t eat enough of this healthy food, and whether that’s due to cost, taste, or availability, manufacturers are trying to come up with ways to fill those needs. Taub-Dix predicts that we’ll see more people reaching for fish in cans, whether it’s tried-and-true favorites like canned tuna and salmon or less-familiar options such as mackerel, clams, and sardines. “Tinned fish is a great source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, it’s one of the least expensive types of protein you can buy, and it has a long shelf life,” she says.
These items have long been popular in Europe, where they’re called conservas, and now brands like Fishwife, Bela, and Jose Gourmet aim to make products with visual appeal and attractive packaging to entice an American market.
Greens from the sea are another growing category, to help non-fish fans get their dose of omega-3s. You can find sea greens in both supplement form and as an ingredient in packaged foods from crackers to noodles, according to Whole Foods Market.
10. Natural Sweeteners
People are still waging war on sugar, but now with more awareness that artificial sweeteners are not without risks of their own, more are turning to natural sweeteners, reports the Specialty Food Association. That means more whole foods for sweet cravings and fewer ultra-processed foods. Natural sweeteners can include maple syrup, coconut sugar, fruit juices, honey, and monk fruit. Dates and products made from them are predicted to be particularly popular, according to Whole Foods Market, thanks to a 2022 viral TikTok video that showed how to use them to make a sweet candy bar style confection. You can find date sugar, date syrup, and any number of products sweetened with dates, from baked goods to hot sauce.
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8 health trends that aren’t that healthy
Health trends touted by social media influencers or celebrities can be compelling as ‘quick fixes’ for nutrition or weight management, but they aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be, and some do more harm than good.
Freelance journalist Laura Day looks at eight common food trends that aren’t really that healthy.
1 Choosing food and drink labelled ‘no added sugar’
The World Health Organization (WHO) says we need to dramatically reduce the ‘free sugars’ in our diets (that includes sugar added to food, but also the kind that’s naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices). It recommends that less than 10 per cent of our daily calorie intake should come from free sugars – equivalent to around 12 level teaspoons.
No wonder, then, products labelled as having ‘no added sugar’ or ‘100% natural sugar’ look like the sensible choice. But beware: these claims don’t necessarily mean the product is low in sugar.
Ingredients such as honey, fruit juice, agave syrup, rice malt syrup and maple syrup (which count as free sugars) could actually mean the product is high in sugar, so consumption should be limited.
Get back on track
‘Always check the “of which sugars” value on nutrition panels, even on products labelled ‘no added sugar,’ advises registered dietitian and HFG expert Helen Bond.
‘If a food contains less than 5g sugar per 100g, and a drink less than 2.5g sugar per 100ml, you can be sure you’re choosing a product that’s low in sugar.’
2 Cutting out fat
If you do the maths, cutting back on fat is a good way to cut back on calories, too, if that’s what you want — after all, fat provides 9kcal per gram, compared to just 4kcal per gram from protein or carbohydrate. But trying to go fat free isn’t the best route to good health. Choosing low-fat foods doesn’t mean they’re healthier. ‘When going for a low-fat food you need to choose wisely,’ warns Helen. ‘Always question what they’ve replaced the fat with – check the nutrition label to ensure they haven’t just added extra sugar.’
Remember, some fats are essential for our body to function properly. For example, omega-3 fats (the type found in oily fish) are important for keeping our heart and brain healthy – that’s why experts recommend we eat one portion of oil-rich fish a week. Plus the fat in some natural foods comes packaged with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, nutrients that are vital for staying healthy.
For example, vitamin A is important for skin and eye health.
The key is to choose foods that contain the right sort of fat (unsaturated) as well as a good dose of other nutrients – foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil. Cakes, biscuits, chocolate, takeaways and pastries should be limited as they’re often high in cholesterol-raising saturated fat but low in vitamins and minerals.
Get back on track
Be selective about the low-fat foods you eat. Animal fats contain a high proportion of saturated fat, so it’s advisable to choose reduced-fat dairy products and lean meats. And limit all processed foods or ‘treats’ such as chocolate biscuits, even those marked ‘reduced fat’ – if the sugar content has been hiked up, they’re often just as unhealthy as the full-fat versions.
3 Snacking on rice cakes
You shun chocolate and biscuits in favour of rice cakes as a between-meal snack because it’s the healthier option, right? Not exactly… While there’s nothing wrong with rice cakes per se, they don’t bring much to the table in the way of nutrients, and they’ll leave you feeling hungry again soon due to their high glycaemic index (GI) and lack of fibre and protein.
‘Snacks should be an opportunity to enhance your diet and keep you satisfied, rather than a quick stopgap,’ says Helen. ‘Instead of eating plain rice cakes, top one with protein-rich no added sugar or salt peanut butter or low-fat cottage cheese for a more nutritious, satisfying bite.’
Get back on track
Treat mid-morning and afternoon snacks as an opportunity to boost your nutrient intake. For instance, a kiwifruit will add fibre and vitamin C; Brazil nuts add selenium and healthy fats; low-fat yogurt adds calcium and protein; and veg sticks with hummus add fibre.
4 Thinking ‘raw’ means healthy
The raw food diet proved to be a big health trend. But while there’s a lot to be said for a diet based on fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, don’t assume all foods that toe this diet line will be lower in calories and sugar by nature. ‘It’s just as important to check out the nutrition information on “raw” treats as it is with non-raw treats,’ says Helen. ‘Raw honey is an ingredient that’s added to many raw treats, but it whacks up the calorie content.
Plus it’s a free sugar, which we should be cutting down on.’
Many uncooked snack bars also contain a lot of dried fruit, nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils, which again can hike up the calorie count. For example, a 35g Beond Organic Raw Choc Bar has 134kcal, 6.1g fat and 15.2g sugar, while a two-finger KitKat has 107kcal, 5.1g fat and 10.8g sugar. There’s still no good evidence to suggest the raw food diet is any better for us than one that includes cooked food.
Get back on track
Use the raw food concept as inspiration to eat more fresh fruit and veg, but be selective when choosing products branded ‘raw’, and eat them in moderation, like any treat.
5 Falling for the latest food fad
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest ‘miracle diet’ that promises good health as well as weight loss. You follow the rules to the letter, avoiding certain foods and, more often than not, massively restricting your overall intake. And once the pounds start to fall off, which invariably they do, you feel great! For a time… But then the limitations grow tedious and the diet unsustainable, so you find yourself back where you started – or possibly worse off.
Research suggests cutting out or severely restricting a food group ultimately leads to cravings and over-consumption, and therefore weight gain.
‘By their very definition, diets have a start and endpoint, after which we are likely to slip back into our old eating habits,’ says Helen. ‘It’s much healthier to follow a more manageable eating plan, which you can stick to in the long term.’
Get back on track
While sustainable healthy eating and weight-loss plans differ from person to person, restrictive diets mess with everyone’s health. If you’d like some guidance, try following HFG’s weekly diet planner.
6 Blending and juicing everything
Recent years have seen liquid diets popularised by weight-loss success stories. For example, in the film Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, Australian Joe Cross consumed nothing but fruit and vegetable juices for 60 days. For him, it worked as a kick-start to a new, healthy lifestyle. But living on nothing but juice for extended periods is generally ill-advised.
‘While juices are great for supplementing our diets with extra nutrients, it’s not wise to replace all meals with juices,’ says Helen. ‘Not only will you miss out on fibre from not eating the solid food, but also on chewing, which is important for satiety.’ Plus drinking large amounts of fruit-based juice will pack sugar into your diet. Good health isn’t just about what we feed our bodies, either. ‘Being able to sit down for a meal with family and friends is just as important for wellbeing as the food we eat,’ says Helen.
Get back on track
Juices can be an easy way to boost our fruit and vegetable intake, but they only count as one of our five-a-day, no matter how much we drink. Stick to a maximum serving of one 150ml glass a day.
7 Choosing to go dairy free
The media have linked cow’s milk with an array of health conditions, from cancer and heart disease to allergies and catarrh. But look beyond the headlines and most nutrition experts agree that rather than being bad for us, dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet, thanks to the wide range of nutrients they provide.
‘Ditching dairy means you’ll miss out on a range of nutrients including protein, B vitamins and phosphorus,’ warns Helen. ‘Plus milk, cheese and yogurt are the main providers of calcium in our diets, which is vital for strong bones.’
Global data show many countries’ populations have calcium intakes below the minimum amount recommended for good health, especially among women. Added to this, 200 million people worldwide have osteoporosis, a condition where bones are so fragile they can easily break. A low calcium intake, especially in childhood and the teenage years, is thought to be a key contributor, as bones are unable to reach their full strength in adulthood.
Get back on track
If you do decide to go dairy free, make sure you eat plenty of other calcium-rich foods: tinned fish with edible bones (such as sardines), beans, nuts, green leafy vegetables, oranges and calcium-fortified soy products.
8 Denying yourself all treats
Deciding to manage weight by never eating so-called ‘naughty’ foods again? Good luck with that! Yes, there’ll be some things you can live without but, for most of us, being able to enjoy the occasional treat is a more sustainable health strategy than total deprivation.
‘It comes back to the mantra: everything in moderation,’ says Helen. ‘I’m a great believer in the 80/20 rule, whereby if 80 per cent of the time you eat a healthy diet, you can enjoy treats 20 per cent of the time.’
Get back on track
Eat treats mindfully: focus on what you’re eating and savour each mouthful. This will help make food more satisfying, which means you’ll be less likely to overeat.
(Not)expensive fashion. How a healthy lifestyle trend will help you save money and improve your health
November 28, 2022, 15:35
Exclusive
Elena Grigoryeva
Photo: Farhad Ibrahimzade/Unsplash
Interest in a healthy lifestyle is growing in Russia. During the year, every second Russian began to eat more healthy food, and a third of the population began to play sports more often and visit doctors. However, more and more Russians save on food. Can the rise in food prices bring down the positive fashion for a healthy lifestyle – Yamal-Media figured it out.
Fashion for a healthy lifestyle
The trend for proper nutrition and an active lifestyle is gaining momentum. According to a VTsIOM survey, in 2022, almost half of Russians (47%) began to eat healthy food more often. Another 35% began to go in for sports more often, and 27% of the country’s inhabitants began to visit doctors regularly.
Dietitian Elena Solomatina told Yamal-Media that concern for nutrition and health among Russians has become fashionable. The trend was outlined earlier, and now it has become quite stable, especially in megacities.
A healthy lifestyle has really become a trend. It became unfashionable to be sick. It hits the pocket, and people want to feel comfortable and lead an active life.
Elena Solomatina
nutritionist
Many people pull themselves up initially for the sake of following fashion, and in the end they realize that it is more convenient to live this way, they begin to feel better. It becomes a way of life that people extend to their surroundings, the nutritionist added.
When health improves and more strength appears, many no longer want to return to their previous eating habits.
Photo: Ello/Unsplash
People share healthy recipes with each other, communities and clubs of healthy lifestyle supporters appear. Even “biting” is now being tried correctly: according to a study, residents of million-plus cities prefer snacks from the “Healthy Eating” category to sandwiches with sausage and chocolates.
“Like any fashion, it’s contagious, but in this case it’s good,” Solomatina said.
Proper nutrition and savings
At the same time, the VTsIOM survey showed that Russians began to save more. Some needed to save up for a major purchase, others want to create a financial cushion, while others have lost income. In 2022, 35% of Russians began to save on food. Will this bring down the trend for a healthy diet?
Nutritionist Solomatina confirmed: there is an opinion that proper nutrition is expensive, but this is nothing more than a myth.
On the contrary, fast food, ready meals, sweets and snacks greatly lighten the wallet, not to mention the potential medical expenses that uncontrolled eating can lead to.
Photo: Ola Mishchenko/Unsplash
There is an opinion that proper nutrition is some kind of frills, but in fact the opposite is true. Processed products, semi-finished products, expensive. What we can do ourselves in five minutes, they did for us, put all kinds of flavorings there and pass it off as an expensive product. They also packaged beautifully and made good advertising, for which we also pay. No need to spend money on fast food. If we do this, much more money is spent than on some of the simplest things.
Elena Solomatina
nutritionist
Dairy desserts, flavored yoghurts, sweet puddings are actually more expensive than natural milk, fermented baked milk and kefir. Healthy plant-based protein sources such as beans and peas are also inexpensive. Like cabbage, carrots, beets, celery, which contain fiber.
Expensive red fish can be replaced with fresh-frozen herring. When baked, it will contain much more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than salmon or salmon. Dietary supplements and superfoods can be replaced with alternative products and homemade dishes. Even plain water is cheaper than carbonated drinks and juices.
“It’s all cheap. You just need to strain your brain, find information and work a little, ”concluded the nutritionist.
The most important and up-to-date news is in our Yamal-Media telegram channel.
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