In many respects, the world of nutrition doesn’t change as much as we think. Vegetables have always been good for you. So here are four interesting shifts that may change how you shop and eat in 2019.
Shopping online: There are more ways than ever to buy groceries online - either in their traditional form or packaged as meal kits. Don’t care to cook? There are more ways than ever to buy heat-and-eat meals online, no matter what your dietary or taste preferences. Expect to see expanding choices and increased convenience. That’s great whether you hate fighting the after work grocery store crowds, want to schedule groceries to arrive the day you get home from vacation, or have health issues that make it hard to leave the house.
Minimalist packaging: Isn’t it amazing how much stuff can be crammed onto a food label? You often have to wade through a lot of health claims, certification stamps and what amounts to a lot of advertising and marketing in order to find the really useful information. Fortunately, a growing move toward minimalist packaging may make your trips to the grocery store less confusing.
Plant-based options: More people are choosing to eat more plant-based meals, whether they are vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. This means more restaurants - from fast-food chains to high-end establishments - are offering plant-based menu options. While the latest trends in this area are meat substitutes (sometimes called meat analogs) that could fool even a committed carnivore, expect to see more menu items based on vegetables, pulses (beans and lentils), nuts, seeds, grains and traditional soy foods like tofu.
New flavors: Research experts say that the “lipstick effect” - the economic and psychological theory that when we are facing an economic uncertainty we cut back on costly purchases and turn to small, inexpensive indulgences like lipstick - is emerging on the food front in these times of global uncertainty. Consumers are splurging on things like gourmet coffee and seeking out “luxurious spices and flavours” whether cooking at home or dining out.
