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Simplicity

What’s Hot, What’s Not in Nutrition: A Look at 2010 Food and Nutrition Trends

by Janet on January 6, 2010

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr user Optical Illusion

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr user Optical Illusion

I’ve been writing a lot about food trends in anticipation of the start of the new year.  Most of my posts have been summaries of the predictions of others — from the National Restaurant Association to the Supermarket Guru. This time it’s my take on what I think will be hot in 2010, with a specific focus on nutrition trends.  You can find my predictions in the Chicago Tribune (The Buzz in 2010: These Nutrition Trends Will Be Fodder in New Year or in this online slideshow Nutrition Trends for 2010.) The full article is reprinted below.  What do you think will be the big issues in 2010?

Chicago Tribune

The Buzz in 2010
These nutrition trends will be fodder in new year

by Janet Helm
Special to Tribune Newspapers

Out with the old, in with the new. Now that we’ve officially started the new year, what new nutrition trends will replace the old? What food issues will dominate, and which ones will fade away?   Here are our predictions for 2010 — a nutritional forecast of what’s hot, what’s not:

Fresh is the new functional.

Pumped-up foods fortified with various health-enhancing ingredients may be falling out of favor. The majority of shoppers (88 percent) believe it’s more important to eat foods naturally rich in nutrients instead of fortified or enriched, according to Barbara Katz, president of HealthFocus International.The trend is being dubbed “inherently nutritious” or “functionally natural.” The new ideal is fresh, less processed, real and authentic. Anything artificial will continue to be challenged.

Simplicity is the new sophistication.

The year will be defined by the concept of less is more. We’ll see this in multiple ways, including less packaging, shorter ingredient lists and more understandable ingredients, said Lynn Dornblaser, a new products analyst at Mintel, a market research firm. She predicts companies will continue to pare down the ingredients in packaged food — a trend that started in 2009 with 42 percent of food and drink categories reducing the number of ingredients per product. A shorter ingredient list was the top 2010 trend identified by readers of SupermarketGuru.com.

Low carbon is the new low carb.

This year will bring the mainstreaming of sustainability, predicts Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel, a Web site devoted to food. Before 2009, many people didn’t even know what the word “sustainable” meant; now it has become a priority — or at least shoppers are making small steps, she said. Expect to see more green restaurants and eco-labeling on foods, including carbon footprint, water footprint, food miles, biodegradable packaging and fair trade. Eating “local” will still be in vogue, but the definition will be expanded to make it more practical and realistic.

Food is the new insurance.

With concerns about health care likely to remain, people will intensify their efforts to stay well. Increasingly this will mean looking to food as a solution. Research conducted by HealthFocus International indicates that shoppers have a growing desire to control their own health and “live long and live strong.” The single greatest concern of shoppers is retaining mental sharpness as they age, according to the research. That means we can expect to see even more foods and beverages touting brain-related benefits. Other big claims will focus on immunity, heart disease, arthritis, eye health and the ability to “detox.”

Meat-free is the new meat.

Move over meat — you’re no longer the center-of-the-plate star. Now there’s a new approach, with meat viewed as a condiment or left out entirely at mealtime. While we may not become a country full of committed vegetarians, expect to see more people choose to eat meat less often, predicts Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian and author of “The Flexitarian Diet.” Meat will be increasingly viewed as optional as more people opt for plant-based plates dominated by whole grains, beans, nuts and vegetables. The triple concerns over our health, the environment and the economy will help drive this trend, Blatner said.

Dining in is the new going out.

We will continue to reduce our reliance on restaurants in 2010 and eat more meals at home. But food preparation has changed with “warming and heating” now the method of choice, said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, a research company that regularly tracks America’s eating habits. He predicts a resurgence of the microwave oven and more products specifically designed for microwave cooking. That may mean more respect for frozen foods, including steam-in-the bag meals and claims related to freshness locked in.

Sodium is the new trans fat.

Now that packaged foods and restaurant deep fryers have taken out trans fats, expect all eyes to turn to sodium. Sodium reduction is poised to be the next major health movement, according to Mintel’s Lynn Dornblaser. Yet this movement is being driven by the government and food industry, rather than the consumer, she said. Other trends typically start with the consumer, and then the industry delivers. Expect to see more companies announce sodium reductions, although the cuts will likely be gradual so consumer taste buds can adjust. Taste still rules, and shoppers are not willing to sacrifice.

Buzz words:  Sustainable * Local  *  Flexitarian  * Artisan * Natural  * Ethical eating * Clean eating


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Focusing on Food Labels: A Short Ingredient List Has Become Something To Brag About

by Janet on October 15, 2009

simply-pb-packageIngredient lists on food labels are shrinking.  Have you noticed?  Now it’s hip to have the fewest as possible.

That’s the topic of my latest article A guide to food labels in the Chicago Tribune.

When it comes to packaged food, a short ingredient list has become something to brag about.

Food author and activist Michael Pollan has been a major champion of this concept. In his frequently cited “rules of eating,” Pollan suggests avoiding products with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

If you can’t say it, don’t eat it, he advises. Or if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, skip it.
Food manufacturers appear to be taking notice. Today, it’s all about few and familiar ingredients.

Natural, pure and clean are the new demands.  It’s part of the simplicity trend I’ve previously written about.

First, it was Five, the new line of Haagen-Dazs ice cream that’s made with only five ingredients — including well-known kitchen staples (milk, ice cream, sugar and eggs).  Then, Pillsbury introduced Simply cookies that are based on a similar premise.  ”Made just like you would make at home, same ingredients, same process.

Many food companies are scrambling to simplify ingredient lists and find naturally sourced alternatives to create what has been dubbed a “clean label.”  And when they do, they proudly declare “no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives” on the front of the package.  That has become one of the most popular claims made by new foods and beverages, according to the market research firm Mintel.

In this era of fresh, organic and whole foods, we’ve become a national fearful of food additives,” said dietitian Elisa Zied, a New York-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

“People want to know what they’re eating,” she said.

Zied does suggest looking for foods with the fewest ingredients possible, but she said it’s just a rule of thumb — and one that can be broken.  ”If you don’t have food allergies, choose yourfive battles,” she said.

I also interviewed food scientist Barry Swanson, a professor of food science at Washington State University and a spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists.  He told me there was a lot of confusion over ingredients…

“Consumers think any ingredient with two syllables is dangerous.  Yet many of the long words are added nutrients (such as ascorbic acid or vitamin C) and natural compounds, including extracts from fruit or other food sources that act as antioxidants to preserve freshness. All ingredients are added for a reason, and they wouldn’t be there if they weren’t safe,” he said.

Even so, many people are concerned about food additives.  That’s why I put together a guide to help translate the terms you might see on a food label and learn why these ingredients are added to foods.  Check out the article to learn more.  Or check out two other excellent resources:

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Simplicity Sells in Tough Economic Times

by Janet on June 11, 2009

In this bad economy, we’ve gone back to basics.  And when it comes to food, simple is in.  I’ve frequently written about the trend of simplicity, including Simplicity is the New Sophistication and Putting the “No” in Innovation.

Well, it seems my posts on simplicity caught the eye of ABC News.  I was interviewed on this topic and here’s the segment that aired (which was distributed to ABC affiliates across the country and is posted on ABCnews.com). 

Hope you’ll check it out.

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Putting the “No” in Innovation

by Janet on May 11, 2009

shreddedwheat-c2

I wrote earlier about the trend of simplicity and the campaign that Shredded Wheat had in the works.  Now the new anti-innovation ads have been launched, which play into today’s increased  desire for authenticity and simple, honest nourishment.  The campaign features a rather (pardon the term) innovative web site called the Palace of Light  that makes a whimsical case against progress. 

 “The world has progressed at lightening speed over the past 100 years.  To a fault, one could argue in light of the times.  So it’s both oddly funny and fascinating to consider that Post Original Shredded Wheat, which has used the same single ingredient for over 100 years, ends up being one of the healthiest foods on your grocery shelf.”

In a playful way, the campaign pokes fun at innovation and elevates the current backlash against heavily processed or engineered foods…

“Today we see all sorts of chemically enhanced, artificial fiber-infused, carb-refused cereals — a far stretch from simple, honest nourishment.  Post Original Shredded Wheat, on the other hand, hasn’t changed.  It is still just one simple, honest ingredient, which naturally comes with fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Why would we mess with that?”

That’s become the collective consumer sentiment, don’t mess with my food!  During these tough economic times, this humble breakfast food has hit on a perfect storm — familiar childhood favorite, back to basics, value, simple and naturally nutrient rich.  How can you beat that?

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Simplicity Is The New Sophistication

by Janet on April 23, 2009

fiveKeep it simple stupid.  That’s the current rallying cry in the food industry.  Simplicity is a dominant trend  — perhaps it’s an antidote to the complexity and stress of these uncertain times.  Maybe it’s a backlash against the onslaught of pumped up, engineered foods.  There does seem to be a growing  skepticism of complicated formulations and unfamiliar ingredients –  and food companies are taking notice.

Today, people are looking for foods that have been stripped back to basics.  They want unpretentious, unadorned or “natural” foods, which are perceived as more real and authentic. That often comes down to few and familiar ingredients — a trend that Haagen Dazs nailed on the head with Five.  This new ice cream focuses on the small number of ingredients that go into every carton — and it’s all ingredients you’d likely have at home:   milk, cream, sugar and eggs. 

In a recent Marketing Daily article, simplicity was described as the new sophistication.   Margaret Kime, director of innovation for the brand-building consultancy Fletcher Knight, said “brands that celebrate the aesthetic beauty in real ingredients, simple preparation and artful presentation will be aligned with the driving philosophy that good food is eaten fresh and prepared unpretentiously.”  She cited several new products in the beverage category that are redefining simplicity, including all-natural Pepsi Raw and Honest Beverages (”Be Real. Get Honest.”).

But it’s not only about new food products.  One of my favorite cereals is Shredded Wheat.  And this no-nonsense breakfast food is coming on strong to tap into the recession-driven demand for comforting, simple and familiar foods.  And the company is really playing up the anti-innovation factor.  Now it’s hip to be behind the times. 

Post Foods just announced that it will be embarking on a new campaign to highlight that the cereal has remained unchanged since it was first introduced 117 years ago, and still contains only “one simple, honest ingredient – 100 percent natural whole grain wheat. ”10037568advertisement-for-shredded-wheat-promoting-it-as-the-national-breakfast-posters

“There’s been a marked change in American values, with a greater desire for honesty, trustworthiness, and security during a time of economic and societal uncertainly,” said Kelley Peters, director of integrated insights and strategy for Post Foods. The company said that its focus on remaining the same for more than a century should come as a “refreshing change…in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.”

This old-fashioned cereal couldn’t be more modern.  Not only does it have the simplicity thing going for it, but it’s also high in fiber — a shortfall nutrient that’s being added  to all sorts of foods and beverages today.   Digestive health is a hot claim, according to Packaged Facts, who predicts that it will rule in 2009.  

Shredded Wheat is also playing the natural card, and “natural” is now the top label claim on new products, according to the market researcher Mintel.  Additionally, as nutrition information moves front-of-pack, more companies will be turning their attention to simplicity and looking to remove artificial colors and flavors.

Sometimes, what’s old is really new again.

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