2019 Healthy Food Trends to Look For

In the late 1990s, NASA stated that the perfect meal for astronauts on long-term missions was quinoa. That’s because quinoa is rich in minerals and amino acids. To the general population, quinoa has been a bit of a mystery until recent years. Over the past two decades, quinoa production has increased by about 50% thanks to its growing popularity in Australia, Europe, and the United States. However, quinoa is far from the only trend in healthy food that we’re experiencing now. In recent years, popular trends have included brunch, food subscriptions, and, of course, the avocado. Here are a few of the trends you can expect to see gain popularity in 2019.

Food as Medicine

Food plays a vital role in nourishing and protecting the body, but this role is often lost amidst the many health fads and diet trends. Today’s consumer is beginning to understand that importance of nutrition to their overall health and well-being. The most significant food trend of 2018 was plant-based eating, showing that people are taking their health more seriously and understanding optimal nutrition better than ever. However, there’s no need to go full-fledged vegan if you don’t want to; just be sure to include lots of fresh veggies and fruits in your diet for maximum benefits.

Ethics

People are taking a more ethical approach to their diets, including minimising food waste. The “root to shoot” movement focuses on using every part of the plant – even those not usually eaten such as potato peels or cauliflower leaves. 2019 will likely see this philosophy spreading to the meat industry. After all, if we eat an animal’s legs, wings, or ribs, why not the tongue, tail, or cheek? This idea isn’t a new one, but we’ll likely see it spread into the mainstream in the next year.

Sustainability

Building on the growing effort to minimise waste, an important factor in food packaging will be sustainability. Food products generate a staggering amount of waste each year. However, the zero-waste movement isn’t necessarily about package-free products. Instead, it pushes for the redesign of packaging to use fewer materials.

From plant-based eating to sustainability, it’s easy to see that food trends are sometimes unpredictable. We may not be able to predict every 2019 food trend, but it’s safe to say that the ones mentioned above will continue to be at the forefront for a long time to come.