Health and wellness is a prominent topic in recent times. After all, the best defense against any type of disease is a healthy body. This need-driven health-conscious trend has increased awareness over fitness and exercising, as well as healthy food and dietary requirements.
The food service industry, one of those initially heavily affected by the pandemic, has swung back in full force with the adaptation of modern technology. Nowadays, it’s common to see new meal prep businesses or healthy food providers pop up. Major celebrities are also advertising healthier options- showing definitive proof of the healthy food trend.
Undeniably, fear over the pandemic has affected this health craze. Businesses and service providers are adjusting to market demands, thus creating the shift in the food industry that we see today. Let’s take a look at the healthy food trends that’s been all the rage recently.
Meal Prep is More Popular Than Ever
Professional bodybuilders, fitness models, athletes, and health-conscious individuals have long been aware of meal preparation services. These services are essentially on-demand food delivery businesses, only with a very specific purpose in mind: providing nutrient-dense meals that you consume throughout the day.
This removes the need for preparing your own meal and everything that comes with it. You no longer need a kitchen, cooking knowledge, and cooking utensils and implements to eat healthy food as these types of services can do it for you. Before, they were popular with professional athletes and busy city folk, but with everyone staying home, industry awareness has increased. Many opt to use this service to allow them to still enjoy their time while having access to delicious and healthy meals.
Supplements and Vitamins Trend
If there’s one thing that the pandemic has all taught us, it’s to value our health even more than we initially did. Many people have realized how important it is to accomplish our body’s macro and micronutrient needs- something that can be difficult with a limited diet. And because not everyone has the time, energy, nor skills to prepare diverse cuisines filled with different ingredients, many are resorting to supplementation.
Liquid supplement contract manufacturers and isolated and natural vitamin suppliers are busy with orders and shipments, thanks to the increased demand. With doctors and health experts preaching that the key to a healthy and sickness-resistant body is by consuming various nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, this trend is to remain until the foreseeable future.
Small But Effective: Microgreens
Microgreens are the smaller versions of many regular-sized vegetables that we normally enjoy. Baby versions of popular vegetables like cabbages, carrots, and leeks are reaching record popularity, as people realize their novelty and health benefits. Research has shown that the miniature counterparts of regular vegetables have a higher nutrient-to-body ratio, up to 40 times more than regular-sized vegetables. They’re also very convenient to use as they can be mixed with a wide variety of dishes with very little consequence to the taste or feel.
Another major benefit that microgreens offer is that they can easily be grown at home. Many businesses offer microgreen kits as they’re relatively easy to grow and maintain. A week is all it takes to grow them, making them perfect for busy people who expect fast results.
Virtual Culinary Lessons
Like schooling and work, even cooking classes have taken on a virtual form. Cooking classes were once limited to a face-to-face setting, requiring people to go to a certain location to get their culinary lessons. However, with the popularity of video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype, the need to travel has been lessened.
Needless to say, students need to have the equipment, tools, and ingredients necessary. Despite that small hurdle, many are taking advantage of this ability and are in the process of learning more to make their life healthier.
Homemade Pickling and Fermenting
Along with virtual cooking classes are the rising popularity of pickling and fermenting at home. While this was traditionally done to prolong the lifespan of their ingredients, modern technology has rendered the manual way of pickling at home obsolete. But with the growing health concerns, many individuals are concerned about the quality of their food and would rather make it on their own.
Fortunately, there’s a wealth of resources available for home pickling, and it’s definitely one of the more interesting trends to come out in recent times.
Health and wellness will always be a critical issue, regardless of the era. With more people taking it upon themselves to either choose or create healthy options, these healthy food trends will end up being integrated into our modern food culture
