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Posts Tagged ‘food trends’


Americans’ Taste for Healthy Eating Continues

February 8th, 2013 ::

 By Rieva Lesonsky

How do Americans define “healthy eating” today? If you own a restaurant, food business or food-service company, you’ll want to know what Technomic’s Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report has to say about consumer eating, dining and shopping habits. Here’s some of what the new study found:

  • Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers believe it is important to eat healthy foods and pay attention to nutrition. That’s an increase of 12.3 percent from the last time this poll was conducted in 2010.
  • Half of consumers say they would like it if restaurants offered a wider variety of healthy foods. Nearly as many say they would probably order these options if offered.
  • Americans’ definition of healthy food has expanded from low-fat, low-sugar or low-salt foods to include words and phrases like “local,” “natural,” “organic,” “whole-wheat,” “free-range” and “sustainable.”
  • While low-fat, low-sugar or low-salt foods are widely perceived as not tasting very good, you can capture more customers by avoiding these phrases and instead using terms like “whole wheat” or “contains three servings of vegetables” on your menu. These phrases were identified as suggesting good-tasting, but healthy, food.
  • What other terms work on menus? Check out the most popular health claims on menus at the nation’s top 500 full-service restaurants:
  1. Gluten-free (1,056 mentions)
  2. Organic (266 mentions)
  3. Vegetarian (241 mentions)
  4. Natural (236 mentions)
  5. Low-Fat (111 mentions)
  • Consumers are increasingly trading off – they’re eating healthy most of the time in return for treating themselves to less healthy food on occasion.
  • More consumers today than in 2010 report eating local, organic, natural or sustainable foods at least once per week.

Image by Flickr user AndyRobertsPhotos (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Marketing, Small Business, small business | 1 Comment »

Top 20 Beverage Trends for 2013

December 21st, 2012 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

Earlier this week I shared the National Restaurant Association’s predictions for the hottest food trends for 2013. The NRA also surveyed bartenders nationwide to come up with its What’s Hot in 2013-Alcohol report, which predicts the top 20 alcoholic drink menu trends for 2013 will be:

1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks
2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings
3. Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
5. Locally produced spirits
6. Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce
7. Beer sommeliers/Cicerones
8. Regional signature cocktails
9. Beer-based cocktails
10. Locally produced beer
11. Food beer/pairings/beer dinners
12. Salt (e.g. flavored, smoked, regional)
13. House-made lemonade/soft drinks/tonics
14. Cask beer/ale
15. Wine on tap/draft wine
16. Organic cocktails
17. Cocktails on tap
18. Craft beer
19. Signature cocktails
20. Shrubs

Many of the trends, such as locally produced alcoholic beverages, artisan cocktails and creative combinations are also hot in the world of food. What’s not so hot? The bartenders cited the following as “waning trends”: hard lemonade, non-alcoholic wine, “skinny” cocktails, dessert-flavored cocktails, white sangria, frozen cocktails, light beer, kosher wine and boxed wine.

Of course, some drinks never go out of style. Cited as perennial favorites are red wine, white wine, French wine, citrus fruit and olives as garnish, stouts, Scotch whisky, porters and food-wine pairings.

Two out of five (40 percent) of the bartenders ranked social media marketing and loyalty programs as the hottest technology trend in 2013. Also hot are tablet computers (cited by 29 percent) and smartphone apps (14 percent).

Another trend worth noting: More than half (51 percent) of bartenders report more guests are dining at the bar instead of being seated at a table compared to two years ago.

Image by Flickr user Dana Beveridge (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Marketing, Small Business, small business | 1 Comment »

20 Hot Food Trends for 2013

December 19th, 2012 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

What are the hot food trends restaurant and bar owners, food service entrepreneurs and food manufacturers should know about for 2013? The National Restaurant Association recently released its What’s Hot in 2013 menu trends report.

The top 20 food menu trends for 2013 are:

  1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
  2. Locally grown produce
  3. Healthful kids’ meals
  4. Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme
  5. Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme
  6. New cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major)
  7. Hyperlocal sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
  8. Gluten-free cuisine
  9. Sustainable seafood
  10. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
  11. Farm/estate branded items
  12. Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat)
  13. Non-traditional fish (e.g. branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)
  14. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items (e.g. Chorizo scrambled eggs, coconut milk pancakes)
  15. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
  16. Health/nutrition as a culinary theme
  17. Half-portions/smaller portions for a smaller price
  18. House-made/artisan ice cream
  19. Black/forbidden rice
  20. Food trucks

While many of these trends are continuing on from 2012, some 2012 trends have had their day. What did the chefs in the survey rank as “out”? Froth/air/foam, ramen, gazpacho, “fun-shaped” children’s items, mini-burgers/sliders, flavored/enhanced water, bacon-flavored chocolate, flavored popcorn, fish collars and desserts with bacon were cited as “waning trends.”

Meanwhile, some food items are always popular no matter what the trends may be. The dishes chefs named as perennial favorites are: Italian cuisine, hamburgers/cheeseburgers, egg dishes, French toast, barbeque, fruit desserts (cobbler, pie, tart), comfort foods, grilling, milkshakes and Mexican food.

Of course, not all food trends involve edibles. More than one-fourth (27 percent) of the chefs say tablet computers are the hottest technology trend in restaurants, with smartphone apps (25 percent) and mobile/wireless/pay-at-the-table (19 percent) close behind.

Image by Flickr user ultrakmi (Creative Commons)

 

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Posted in Marketing, Small Business, small business | 21 Comments »

Top 10 Food Predictions for 2013

December 7th, 2012 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

The New Year is almost here, and to help food and restaurant entrepreneurs take advantage of the hottest trends in dining next year, foodservice consulting firm Technomic has released its predictions for the top trends that will shape the food business in 2013. Based on interviews, surveys and site visits, Technomic says the top 10 trends will be hot next year:

  1. Vegetables take a leading role.  Consumers’ flirtation with vegetarian food will evolve into fascination with actual vegetables. Foodservice operators should consider innovative ways to use vegetables both as side dishes and main menu items. Bonus? Vegetables are a great lower-cost alternative to meat to help keep your operating costs down.
  2. Grains go big. Grains’ nutritional value is being recognized, and gluten-conscious consumers are driving growth in gluten-free grains such as quinoa, amaranth, millet, wild rice, corn, oats and buckwheat. Play up the natural grains in your packaged food items or restaurant dishes.
  3. Chicken takes center stage. The number of quick-service and fast-casual fried-chicken concepts is growing as operators add unique takes like Southern, Latin-accented or spicy twists on the bird. Watch for African peri-peri chicken.
  4. Snack attack. Consumers’ desire for street/truck food, low cost foods, and food at any time of day or night are making snacking a hot and growing trend. Whether it’s mini-items at quick-serve restaurants or tapas and mezze at white-tablecloth eateries, the snacking craze shows no signs of abating.
  5. Thinking big. An equal and opposite reaction to the snack trend is big-value, family-sized meals. Typically offered by fast-food restaurants for diners who want to get dinner on the table quickly for a busy family, the concept can also be translated to higher-end restaurants for customers who want to host home gatherings without doing the cooking themselves, but don’t need full-scale catering.
  6. Diner and deli comfort food. Continuing the comfort food craze that started with the recession, diners and delis are currently points of inspiration. Whether it’s gourmet pickles or overstuffed sandwiches, consider how you could add diner or deli flavor to your eatery.
  7. Noodle shops. Americans are comfortable with Asian food now, so it makes sense that Asian noodles are coming back in a big way. From ramen and udon to soba and cellophane noodles, restaurants are spotlighting noodles as the basis for entrees.
  8. Hot cuisine: South America. Consumers are expanding from Mexican food to less-familiar cuisines such as Brazilian, Argentinian and Peruvian food. Grilled meats, South American-Asian fusion seafood dishes, and iconic beverages such as Brazil’s caipirinha will become more widely popular.
  9. Fast casual gets global. Ethnic foods and flavors ranging from good ol’ barbecue to Southeast Asian to Middle Eastern are popping up even in fast-casual eateries.
  10. Unique beverages. Customers will quench their thirst with fresh fruit (especially tropical fruit) beverages; natural energy drinks; house-made sodas; cocktails with sweet, flavored vodkas; microdistillery liquors; regional craft brews; and hard ciders.

If your restaurant is in an urban locale, some of these trends may have already taken hold in your area. Watch for them to spread to more suburban areas next year.

Image by Flickr user Rooey202 (Creative Commons)

 

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Posted in Marketing, Small Business, small business | No Comments »

7 Healthy Food Trends You Need to Know About

October 26th, 2012 ::

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you a small business owner in the restaurant or food industry? Then you need to know about 7 healthy food trends that will affect your business in the coming year. The New Healthful, a “Culinary Trend Report” from Packaged Facts, says consumers are redefining healthful to a more positive focus on the presence of beneficial nutrients and rather than the absence of harmful ones. Here are 7 growing trends:

1. Extraordinary Tap Water: Packaged Facts says we’re entering “a new era of customized and personalized, healthful beverages” all based on high-quality tap water. Consumers are cutting back on high-calorie, carbonated soft drinks, and focusing more on local, artisan crafted beverages. While this is still mostly occurring at upscale restaurants, there’s lots of room for home products to allow customizing your own drinks.

2. Heirloom Whole-Grain Bread: With artisan breads now in the mainstream at fast-food chains, the next wave is whole-grain bread featuring locally sourced, heirloom grains. Still primarily in higher-end restaurants, this trend taps into the desire for better nutrition as well as the local food movement.

3. Beans and Greens for Breakfast: There’s new interest in vegetables and beans for breakfast, as consumers look to replace sugary, starchy breakfast foods. More than just a few tomatoes in an omelet, this trend is putting main dishes featuring vegetables, beans and quinoa in the spotlight; some places are even serving up breakfast salads. So far, this trend is limited to higher-end eateries, suggesting room for growth in the more mainstream arena.

4. Healthful Vending: More and more consumers are looking for healthy alternatives in vending machines at school, work, gyms, sports arenas, airports and hotels, and companies are answering the call by developing nutritious foods specifically for vending. Oatmeal kits, grab-and-go tuna, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables with dips, and organic bowl salads are just a few of the new vending options, but the field is in the early stages and still wide open.

5. Vegan on the Menu: Veganism is attracting consumers who’ve heard about its role in preventing health problems and losing weight. New vegans are seeking more choices on vegan menus, and the addition of vegan options to mainstream restaurant menus. While vegan items are now starting to show up in mainstream chain restaurants, there’s still lots of room for growth in vegan-centric options in both foodservice and retail.

6.  Chef-Inspired Healthful Kid Fare: America’s childhood obesity epidemic is still getting lots of attention, and the newest solutions focus on chef-prepared and culinary-inspired meals that taste so good, they get kids excited about healthful foods. Healthy kids’ foods are showing up on restaurant menus, in school lunches and in packaged foods, and being spotlighted in mainstream publications.

7.  Veggie Burger Renaissance: The “gourmet burger” trend of the last few years is now expanding to the veggie burger. With more diners going meatless for health or moral reasons, better-tasting veggie burgers on menus and store shelves are another area with room to grow. This trend is already hitting quick-service restaurants and grocery store shelves.

Image by Flickr user Identity Photography (Creative Commons)

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Posted in Small Business, small business | No Comments »