Nutrition Unplugged

Our troubling economy may be contributing to the expanding waistlines of U.S. workers, suggests a new CareerBuilder study. Results indicate that 43 percent have gained weight in their current jobs, with a quarter of employees reporting that they’ve gained more than 10 pounds; 12 percent say they’ve gained more than 20 pounds.

Among the survey respondents, women are more likely (48 percent) than men (39 percent) to say they’ve gained weight at their current jobs. Part of the problem appears to be snacking — one in 10 report increased snacking during the day due to concerns over the current economic situation.

It does appear than snacks have taken center stage in American eating. NPD Group refers to snacks as the fourth meal of the day. Why not, 21% of all meals are now snacks.

According to Snack Foods Culinary Trend Mapping Report from Packaged Facts, today’s time- crunched Americans are snacking more than ever — turning to snacks as meal stand-ins and eating more often to fuel on-the-go lifestyles and avoid energy crashes. As snacks grow in importance and become not simply a hunger-soothing bridge between formal meals, consumers are demanding more from their snacks.

The new report says emerging snacks are combining health and indulgence, with a new focus on quality ingredients, vivid flavor and pumped-up nutrition. Here are a few examples from the trend mapping report of the new snacking dynamics :

Swanky Pork Rinds: Goodbye down-home, hello upscale. High-quality pork rinds illustrate the “real meat” trend and are showing up at high-end bars and restaurants.

Gastro Popcorn: No longer simply a Cineplex stand-by. Gastro Popcorn has transformed this movie favorite into a gourmet snack with grown-up flavor profiles, such as curry and black truffle.

Seaweed Snacks: Inspiration from the sea. Seawood Snacks offer a globally inspired duo of taste and health.

Alternative Chips: A colorful palette of crunch. New veggie chips that go beyond the pale potato are gaining in popularity thanks to their “minimally processed/maximum nutrition” persona, along with offering crunch and salty, spicy flavors.

Nuts Gone Global: Lavished with exotic flavors from around the world. Upscale nuts transform the familiar via striking new personalities.

Whole Nutrition Sweets: Promises of nutrition and indulgence. Innovative treats are being created with such nutrient-packed ingredients as brown rice and soybeans.

The restaurant industry has also jumped on the snack bandwagon — with the growth of small plates and mini meals. In the QSR arena, new products focus on smaller, snack-like portions — which is really just to entice you to come in more often.

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Is our bad economy making us fat? There’s a growing concern that the deepening recession could inflate America’s waistlines. Are we in store for “recession pounds” as cash-strapped shoppers seek cheaper food?

Sure, the dollar drive-thru menu may look appealing. But as Adam Drewnowski says, the answer lies in affordable but nutrient-rich foods that give you the biggest nutritional bang for your buck — real foods that people relied on during the Great Depression, such as beans, rice, potatoes, milk, cheese, carrots, canned tomatoes and soups. He’s calling it ”a diet for a new Depression.”

photo credit: Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition

And Depression-era foods are back in a big way. Perhaps the best evidence is the latest sensation on You Tube called Great Depression Cooking with Clara, a series of 10 videos featuring 93-year old Clara Cannucciari. Her filmmaker grandson created the videos of Clara demonstrating the meals her family ate during the Great Depression.

Here’s Cannucciari making a “Poorman’s Feast,” a Depression-era version of a celebration meal featuring salad and lentils, rice and a little bit of meat cooked in lemon and oil.

So how are people changing how they eat based on these tough economic times?

The recession has brought back home cooking — or at least eating at home. It’s hard to say home much cooking is actually happening, but 71% of consumers say they’re eating out less. The most popular entree at dinner : sandwiches! That’s according to research by the NPD Group. When people eat at home, they’re apt to eat better.
Some evidence suggests people look to health and wellness in a recession — they are increasingly focused on ways to avoid becoming ill during these uncertain times. But instead of high-priced functional foods, wholesome real foods cooked at home are the likely approach. It’s the back to-basics bailout diet.
The casserole is making a comeback. An article in Advertising Age says this one-dish wonder has become a lot more popular lately among cash-strapped and often culinarily challenged consumers anxious to save bucks while getting dinner on the table. But the modern-day casserole is being re-invented with more fresh vegetables and spice.
Less expensive cuts of meat are quickly growing in popularity, including the cube steak, which is the hottest cut of beef in the country now. An article about the resurgence of cube steak was recently featured in the New York Times by Kim Severson, who lovingly profiled this “wallflower among meat cuts” that brings her back to her childhood dinner table…when “life was safe, steady and predictable.”
NPR food commentator Bonny Wolf says the recession will have a big impact on food trends in 2009 — it will be all about comfort, value and simplicity.