As the New Year offers opportunities to take stock of where we’ve come and to anticipate the changes ahead, we will be amiss to not talk about food. After all, everybody eats.
What will be big in 2022? Since the turn of a new decade, there’s been a radical change about how we thought about and shared food. Instagram made its debut in the fall of 2010; today, an estimated 95 million posts are uploaded every 24 hours, and food and drink are among users’ biggest interests.
Let’s sink our teeth deeper into trends for food and nutrition in 2022.
The proliferation of West African Ingredients and Spices:
Following the popularity of super herb moringa, several African ingredients are lining up to be next on the hotlist. The high-fibre, rice-like grain fonio, the protein-rich egusi seeds, which are used to thicken soups, the Dawa Dawa, a fermented locust bean that enriches many soups and stews in West Africa, to stewed kale, ginger and so many others. In 2022, these will be key to many kitchens and is termed by players in the industry as “Afro-funk”.
Bye Sugar:
Instead of making available plain sugar to add taste to food, experts see an increase in the use of sweet syrup from a starch or fruit source? Syrups from monk fruit, pomegranate, coconut, sweet potato, sorghum, and dates will pop up as ways to add a touch of sweetness to food. To show how serious countries are trying to help their citizens stay healthy, an African nation like Nigeria is putting a tax on sweet carbonated drinks. More countries are expected to join the bandwagon.
Regenerative Agriculture:
This looked like what was seen only in Hollywood movies but is now a conversation among farmers, scientists and other advocates as the world continues to pay attention to land use and how farming systems could be used to improve soil health and help fight climate change.
More embrace Non-Alcoholic Happy Hour:
Whether you call them mocktails, zero-proof or spirit-free drinks, non-alcoholic beverages are becoming a global staple. Expect to see even more zero-proof drinks as hops-infused sparkling waters and alternatives to liquors.
Intuitive Eating and “Un-Dieting”:
In 2022, consumers are expected to consider new ideas about how and why they eat. Fad diets and get-thin-quick regimens will continue to lose popularity, supplanted by more holistic and sustainable concepts like what experts call “intuitive eating”. The “un-dieting” will focus less on food restrictions and more on natural cues our bodies can give us. Simply put people will focus more on balance and moderation.
More Flour flavours:
Have you tried almond flour, coconut flour, even flour made from spent grain? What about banana flour? Alternative flours made from fruits and vegetables will continue to show up in the baking aisle but also look for them in the packaged food aisles.
Meat-Plant Blends:
And as consumers continue to seek out plant-based alternatives, meat production companies are seeing if consumers will opt for burgers made of meat but less of it. In 2022 we will see more fast-food companies take classic burgers and blend them with at least 25 per cent of plant-based foods such as fresh mushrooms.
This article is in no way making an attempt to dictate what you should eat and how you should eat it. We will always advise that you understand your body and nourish it the best way you should. We also strongly advise that before you introduce something new to your diet, speak with your doctor or nutritionist.
Do you have any comment or question? Please share with us in the comment section.