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2018 Nutrition and Food Trends
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Andrea Holwegner as published in Calgary Herald NewspaperTop 3 trends in the food, restaurant and grocery industry

 

As both a foodie and Canada nutrition expert I’m always fascinated to read about what food and nutrition trends I can 2018 Food Nutrition Trendsexpect to see in the year ahead. Here is my summary of the top three food and nutrition trends.

 

#1 Plant based push

Baum+Whiteman International Food and Restaurant Consultants predict plant based foods will be the number one food trend for 2018 and claim “plant based is the new organic.” Expect to see more “plant-forward” or “veggie-centric” options including more customizable menu and grocery store options for vegetarians and vegans.  

Consumers (including meat and dairy eaters) are open to trying more plant based burgers and legumes than ever before for animal welfare, environmental or health reasons. Expect to see more plant milks including cashew, macadamia, pea protein added to the lineup of dairy-free milks. Vegan cheese on burgers and pizzas and vegan ice cream will make a name for themselves.

Alternative  Milk

You will see more veggies added to foods such as vegetable chips or frozen cauliflower being added to smoothies along with a continued trend for avocado toast. The National Restaurant Association suggests one of the top trends for dishes will be vegetable carb substitutes.

 

#2 Mindfulness meets the grocery shelf

The mind-body philosophy of mindfulness has extended into food. Innova Market Insights named mindfulness as its number one trend for 2018. Phil Lempert, the SuperMarketGuru suggests that consumers (led by millennials) want to be mindful or “consciously aware” of all the details about what is in their food and then align with brands or retailers that support their values. Lempert mentions that products with an ethical claim on the package have increased seven-fold since 2010 as interest in human, environmental and animal ethics grows.

Natural, simple and recognizable ingredients and foods continue to trend, as does healthful meals for kids at restaurants. Most trend reports show that an overwhelming number of consumers want to understand where their food comes from and expect transparency. They are also more open to emerging trends in no-waste cooking (nose-to-tail and root-to-stem) cooking since they want to do their part to reduce food waste (which is great since The Toronto Food Policy Council suggest that forty percent of all food produced in Canada each year is wasted).

More sustainable, socially conscious and responsibly grown and raised items will appear than ever before. Smaller companies that have created products in this category are being bought out by larger players who see the opportunity ahead. Food marketers will now have to address consumer confusion as to which is better, with growing labels such as GMO-free, fair trade, organic, local, natural, free of hormones and antibiotics, pasture raised and more.

 

#3 Gut health & reducing inflammation

Pinterest listed gut health and pinning recipes using the best probiotic foods for your gut as one of the top ten wellness trends for 2018. While probiotics and fermented foods including probiotic beverages, tonics and teas grow in further popularity, watch for drinking vinegars (typically made from apple cider vinegar) that are similar to kombucha. Fungi such as reishi and chaga are being added to foods, coffees and teas as the next trendy way to achieve good gut health.

As more people are learning their so-called “gluten-sensitivity” might not have anything to do with gluten, they are exploring a low FODMAP (Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols) diet for digestive issues and seeking out the help of Registered Dietitians to help them figure out the complexities of this diet plan.  

In addition to a focus on gut health (or the microbiome), consumers are interested in diets to reduce inflammation, enhanced health, improve brain functioning and slow ageing. Adding omega-3 fats into foods and beverages will be more popular in 2018 as will the addition of ginger and traditional medical spices such as turmeric and Za’atarElderflower beverage

As consumers move to reduce sugar as part of their anti-inflammatory diet they will be continuing to drink more sugar free beverages. According to Nielsen, the category of sparkling water has more than doubled in grocery store and convenience store sales over the last four years. Watch for more seltzers and sparkling water with trendy flowers added such as elderflower, which Whole Foods highlighted as the MVP (most valuable petal).

In summary, the year 2018 can be highlighted by the buzz words plant based, veggie-centric, vegan, vegetarian, probiotic, gut health, microbiome, anti-inflammatory, ethical, sustainable, natural, responsibly grown and raised, local and mindful.

As published in the Calgary Herald Newspaper

Calgary Dietitian Andrea Holwegner “the chocoholic nutritionist” and CEO of Health Stand Nutrition Consulting Inc. leads a team of Calgary nutritionists specializing in nutrition counselling for sustainable change since 2000.  She is a workplace wellness expert, professional speaker and online nutrition course creator with an award-winning blog and popular free monthly e-newsletter at www.healthstandnutrition.com.  Twitter: @chocoholicRD.  Facebook: @chocoholicRD  Instagram: @chocoholicrd

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"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
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Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client
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Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
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Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
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Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer

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I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
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Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician

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Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager

Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA

I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”
Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources

ARC Resources Ltd.

“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
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