Trends in food 2019

Food trends 2019

The new trends in food collected in the Global Food and Drink Trends 2018 report suggest that we increasingly reject excess sugar, salt, fats and other ingredients that can be harmful to health.

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#REALFOOD

The #realfood movement is probably going to be the most popular 2019 food trend of all. It advocates consuming little or no processed foods. That is, we eat food as it is found in nature. On Instagram you can see the photos of the followers of the movement.

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Vegetables

In 2019 we are going to eat more vegetables than ever. Habits that we previously attributed only to vegetarians are taking over our diet: consuming vegetable drinks instead of milk, eating tofu and other vegetable proteins instead of meat … This calendar of seasonal vegetables and fruits will surely be useful to you.

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New textures

One of the food trends of 2019 that our palates will try to conquer is to consume foods with different textures. Fruit pulp, foods that go through a carbonation or fermentation process, for example.

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Healthy sugar substitutes

It is a trend to substitute sugar in desserts for foods that naturally provide sugar: date paste, applesauce or overcooked carrots.

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Mocktails

They are cocktails without alcohol and with fewer calories than the traditional ones. The objective? Avoid the negative effects of alcohol and take advantage of the nutrients and vitamins of fruits with which they are made.

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Shakshuka

There is life in the gastronomy of the East beyond hummus. Stick with this name because you're going to hear it a lot: shakshuka, a recipe based on stewed tomatoes, spices, and eggs.

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comestible flowers

They will be present more than ever in dishes such as salads, for example. They are showy and provide a plus of flavor.

Coffee and tea as an ingredient

Not only are we going to enjoy these two drinks in the mornings, another of the food trends for 2019 is that we are going to try preparations such as coffee energy bars, tea jams and artisan coffee beer.

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Probiotics

Probiotic and fermented foods - such as kimchi, kombucha or tempeh - will become increasingly popular due to their beneficial health properties.

Recent research from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University (USA) suggests that the biggest influence on losing weight is not how much you eat, but what you eat. Thus, choosing more nutritious and lower-calorie foods is more important than eating little. This is the food trend for 2019 that brings together all the others.

In the same vein, the new trends in food collected in the Global Food and Drink Trends 2018 report suggest that we increasingly reject excess sugar, salt, fats and other ingredients that can be harmful to health.

#realfood

It is nothing other than opting for foods with the most similar aspect to how they are found in nature - fruit, vegetables, chicken breast, etc. -, avoiding ultra-processed ones, which are usually rich in fat and sugar, additives and calories . This food trend for 2019 is complemented by promoting lighter and more respectful cooking with the nature of the food: steam, oven, iron, etc.

The fewer additives a product contains, the less processed it is. They appear with your name or with an E followed by some numbers

How to know if it is healthy

However, as we do not always buy raw food, we must know how to "decipher" a label to see if the product suits us or not.

Sugars The healthiest are products that provide less than 2 g of sugar / 100 g. On the other hand, a food that is excessively rich in sugar is one that has more than 20 g / 100 g.
Salt. We take too much salt, so it is healthy to choose products with little (0.25 g / 100 g or less). If it has 1.25 g / 100 g of salt it is considered excessive.
Fats It is high in fat if it exceeds 15 g / 100 g and low if it has less than 3 g / 100 g. Pay special attention to saturated fats, which should not exceed 5 g / 100 g and better if they have 1 g / 100 g or less. Avoid products with trans or partially hydrogenated fats.

More vegetables than ever

According to 2018 forecasts from Baum + Whiteman, the leading restaurant consultancy, plant foods continue to boom.

Increasing interest. In the last year, Google searches for articles related to health-related vegetarianism have grown by 90%.
In restaurants. This trend is visible in restaurant menus, which increasingly include vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Vegetable drinks. Vegetable drinks (soy, oatmeal, almonds, etc.), which are taken as a substitute for cow's milk, and vegetable proteins (tofu, seitan, tempeh, etc.) as an alternative to meat are gaining followers.

New textures

The new "healthy" food launches pay special attention to taste and texture, turning foods that provide extra health into a pleasure for the senses.

What is innovative. In textures with natural ingredients such as fruit pulp or vegetables; or in the carbonation that results from the fermentation of ingredients such as kombucha, a tea fermented with a nodule of bacteria and kefir-like yeast, which is rich in probiotics. These are just two examples that we can enjoy less caloric foods with specific health benefits.

Sugar free desserts

Another of the food trends that will sweep in 2019. Following the rule of yes to the light and healthy , the tendency is to eliminate refined sugar in desserts, betting on those made with fruit and thus transforming the recipes of the pastry of a lifetime in lighter versions.

What does it consist on. Refined sugar is replaced by stevia, or birch sugar, and vegetables such as carrots, beets, and pumpkin are included to sweeten the cakes. Wheat flour is also replaced by almond, oat or green banana flour, with a lower glycemic index, which prevents rapid rises and falls in blood glucose and, therefore, makes us feel satiated for longer.

The rise of "mocktails"

These are non-alcoholic cocktails with fewer calories than traditional mixes. A trend that is committed to a healthier lifestyle, since natural ingredients such as freshly squeezed or blended fruit and vegetable juices are used to make it. In this way, the negative effects of alcohol on health and the excess calories that traditional cocktails usually contain made of liquor, soft drinks or industrial juices are avoided.

After the poke comes the shakshuka

If 2017 was the year of poke, healthy Hawaiian dishes based on rice and marinated fish, this year the flavors of the Middle East are on the menu. Beyond the hummus comes the shakshuka, a recipe prepared over low heat with stewed tomatoes, spices and eggs and with only 151 calories per serving. And the za'atar spice mix (thyme, sesame, oregano, fennel, cumin and marjoram), rich in minerals and flavonoids, which is macerated with olive oil and used as a seasoning for vegetables or meats.

Coffee and tea … out of the cup

Apart from its "a la copa" presentations, we will be able to enjoy the benefits of tea and coffee in the form of energy bars, yogurts or even jams made with their infusion. Anyway, they are two foods that cannot be abused, so you have to try not to exceed the recommended consumption.

Probiotics: they are gaining ground

Probiotic and fermented foods will become increasingly popular for their health properties. They protect the intestinal flora and the immune system, facilitate colon cleansing and help us control digestion as the body uses the energy from food (calories). For this reason they are foods that help control weight and body fat.

Kimchi. It is a Korean dish based on fermented cabbage with spices.
Kombucha. It is a fermented drink based on tea and ferments similar to those of kefir.
Tempeh. It is obtained from the fermentation of soybeans and has a stronger flavor than tofu.

comestible flowers

They provide healthy benefits and a plus of flavor.

Rose. It is an antioxidant. Its antioxidant power is due to its anthocyanin content. It adds sweetness to fruit salads, for example.
Violet. Anti-cancer properties. It is ideal for cakes, jams, ice cream … Thanks to its beta-carotene content it protects against cancer.
Lavender. Anti-stinging effect. In cocktails or accompanying meats, it serves as a relaxant for the nervous system.