With a new year, you get new food trends and new foods to try. Here are our top eight food trends and foods to try for 2020:
1. Eliminating Food Waste
This is an ongoing trend, as the goal of eliminating food waste continues to grow. Some ways to do this is to use all parts of any animal you eat, by using some of the ingredients you wouldn’t usually eat in sauces, spreads, broths and pickled goods. People will be doing all they can to use leftover food scraps, too.
2. Seed Butters and Spreads
Parents out there may have instigated this trend, in a bid to supply their kids with school-friendly, nut-free options.
Butters and spreads can be made from pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Some more exotic options include watermelon seed butter and macadamia nut butter (macadamia nut is a misnomer – it is actually a seed).
3. Brussels Sprouts
Gone are the days where Brussels sprouts were boiled until the flavor left them. When prepared correctly, they are delicious and they are as good a source of nutrients as kale. They are rising in popularity.
4. Cauliflower as a Substitute Ingredient
Products that contain cauliflower are growing in sales. Cauliflower gnocchi, pizza crust and other starch and grain alternatives are becoming more popular as people try to cut carbs from their diets.
Food companies see this growth and are starting to use other vegetables to replace carbs in things like rice and flour. Cauliflower is a preferred substitute because of its relatively mild flavor and versatility.
5. Food and Drink with CBD
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which helps the body relax without altering the mind like THC, and there is a lot of consumer demand.
So, expect to see CBD offerings in coffee shops, cafes and restaurants, especially in coffees, teas, beers, wines and sparkling waters.
6. Meat Alternatives
Plant-based items are becoming more popular because they are better than ever, and are easily available. Even confirmed carnivores like them.
Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat products are offered both at fast food restaurants and are becoming more available in grocery stores.
7. Milk Alternatives
There are a few reasons why people don’t want to drink cow milk, from lactose intolerance to animal welfare. There are many substitutes to choose from besides the tried and true soy and almond milk.
Some newer milks include coconut, rice, hemp and oat milks.
8. Sugar Substitutes
The health conscious are always looking for ways to get sugar out of their diet, which led to sugar substitutes that turned out to be flavorless and even unhealthy.
Now, pomegranate and coconut sugars and date syrups can be used when you need something sweet. While they all contain sugar, coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than white or brown sugar, which is beneficial for those watching their blood-sugar levels.
You’re sure to come across some of these foods in 2020, so why not give them a try if you haven’t already?