Current Trends in Food and Dining Deana Foster, RD, CD Director of Nutrition Wisconsin Beef Council

What is a Trend?? A tendency to move towards something or in a particular direction OR A prevailing style as in fashion or food

Trends Influenced from all areas: ◦ Celebrity chefs/Food Network ◦ Food and Restaurant industry ◦ Travel industry ◦ Media and magazines (Bon Appetit, Epicurious) ◦ Hollywood

2008 Food and Health was high profile “Less is more” or downsizing was popular in restaurants ◦ Mini food ◦ Value Pricing ◦ Lighter food options ◦ Tapas/sharing

2009 Trends At home dining More value placed on high-quality, seasonal ingredients that provide good value Emphasis on simple food shared with those close to you

Food Trends Functional Foods ◦ Omega-3 Fatty Acids  Eggs with higher levels of Omega-3’s derived from feeding flaxseed ◦ Probiotics  Activia, Dannon DanActive yogurt ◦ Enhanced nutrient profiles  Tomatoes bred to deliver higher levels of lycopene Lean Beef is one of nature’s most functional foods!

Food Trends Gluten-free products

Food Trends Alternative Sweeteners Stevia Agave nectar

Food Trends Bold Flavors/Ingredients Pepper Hemp oil and seed Cumin, cinnamon, ginger Blue Cheese, Asiago Cheese Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, Key Lime UMAMI—the 5 th taste receptor

Food Trends Stress Reducers ◦ In these uncertain times, look for new foods and beverages to offer ingredients to help you “de-stress”  Dasani Plus Calcium +Relax  Arizona Rx Stress Tea

Food Trends Vitality/Energy Boosters ◦ Energy Drinks  Herbals such as guarana and ginseng  Amino acids such as taurine and L-carnitine

Trends Buying Local ◦ The consumer is starting to care where their food comes from and so the “buy local” movement has begun ◦ ¾ of consumers are “buying local” ◦ “Local” does NOT mean “organic”

Dining Trends New/Fabricated cuts of meat Peruvian Cuisine Comfort foods reinvented Fresh foods Mediterranean

HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS KNOWLEDGE IN THE CLASSROOM?

Meal Planning and Preparation Take one or 2 food trends, discuss them and brainstorm ways to include them. Example—functional foods, Umami

It all comes down to this…. “Eating well is one of life’s greatest pleasures” Julia Child

Resources

THANK YOU!