Healthy And Sustainable

Healthy And Sustainable

Celebrity chef Meghna Kamdar, known for her YouTube channel Meghna’s Food Magic, has been predicting food trends for the last two years. According to her, more bakers and bakeries-cum-cafes will be swamping our cities soon. “Less whipped cream-based and more dry, or should I say ‘naked’, cakes are emerging as the thing of choice. In the near future, social media will trigger food buds and kick you out of your office to immediately go try a new place, new dessert, and coffee. Of course, chai cafes too are popping up everywhere, given the distinct divide between the younger and older generation as the latter prefers the staple Masala Ginger Tea over Coffee and Caramel combinations,” she says.  

Kamdar further adds that in the coming year, menu cards will become shorter, to get customers develop loyalty for fewer items as their regular choice. Also, for years, we have been buying American and Italian food choices and ingredients easily available at supermarkets and restaurants. But 2019 will see a change. “The market will hit us with a Thai wave. Green, yellow and mild versions of Tom-yum flavoured ready-to-cook foods will find space in our kitchen cabinets. Marketers have been trying hard for years to develop the healthy food segment with all those varieties of salad leaves, quinoas, granolas and couscous — and finally that’s all finding place in our mind, heart and wallets. You can expect smart meals /diet meals to get introduced in the months to come. With the help of food apps and social media, they are going to find ways into your menu 1 to 5 times a week. Supermarkets are already serving fresh juices and with the introduction of an array of salad dressings, it’s just a matter of time that you will find yourself walking into a supermarket, creating your own salad, and topping it with you choice of dressings, olive oil and seeds,” she predicts.

TASTE BHI, HEALTH BHI
Haven’t we heard that the secret to good health and overall well-being is doing what our forefathers did? Well, the future is going to be all about that. Chef Arindam Bhattacharya, executive chef, Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa, says, “Back to roots with super foods is going to very popular. Nowadays people are more health conscious but they don’t want to compromise on the taste either. We should not forget foods which are traditionally prepared with authentic and local produce,” says Bhattacharya.

One such ingredient that is going to rule the year is banana flower. It is one of the ancient foods and can be prepared in very unique ways. “Banana flower has got lots of natural nutrition like potassium, Vitamin A, C and E which can be beneficial for our health and equally tasty. Also, use of millets was fairly common a few decades ago and I definitely see it making a comeback. It has already become popular in a lot of cities so don’t be surprised to see millet pancakes, millet risottos in menus very soon,” he says.  

Protein shake powders were synonymous with fitness freaks and body builders, but not any more. “Gluten-free, vegan, and other food choices that we have seen on international flights, are finally coming to India. So don’t be surprised if your favourite cafe offers you health smoothies with protein powders,” says Kamdar. 

People are now conscious of gut health, hence the trend of gut healthy food is expected to boom in the coming year. Also more and more people are ditching sugar and opting for healthier alternatives. Says Bhattacharya, “There will be a variety of natural sweeteners in the market. People have become motivated to reduce or eliminate sugar from their food intake, thus use of natural sweeteners like organic honey, palm sugar, coconut sugar will be on the rise.” 

Kamdar adds that oil and butter floating on your subzis is now a thing of the past and people will shift to low oil / zero oil food. “The traditional ways of cooking are not going to be sustainable unless intelligence is added by chefs in making them reasonably healthy while maintaining the taste,” she suggests.  

GO SUSTAINABLE
Over the years, there has been a rise in people shifting to sustainable food and it will only grow in 2019. According to chef Vineet Pathak, Sorriso, Marriott Suites, Pune, “The year 2019 will be more focussed on food sustainability. Sustainable food isn’t just about the end product. It’s a combination of factors like how it’s produced, how it’s distributed and how it’s consumed.” 

For Pathak, sustainable food is more than just a fad and has a good impact on the globe. “It promotes organic and low carbon food production. Since no artificial fertilisers and pesticides, or genetically modified organisms are used, it is beneficial to the environment. This trend will grow because people are more conscious now about what they eat outside than earlier. Diets and lifestyles have drastically changed, so the need to consume safe and healthy meals produced without hazardous pesticides and chemicals is the new norm,” says Pathak, adding that sustainable ingredients like coconut oil, macadamia oil and olive oil will become mainstream. “Whole avocados, grass fed lamb, pastured, organic chicken and eggs are making waves in restaurants. Even dark chocolates, sprouted, fermented or soaked whole grains will be actively used to create healthy and sustainable meals,” he quips. 

CONCEPTUAL DINING AND GLUTEN-FREE FOOD
Today, dining out is not just about the delicious meals that you relish —the concept of dining at a restaurant is more about the experience, hence conceptual dining will become a huge trend in 2019. “People like to play with cats, dogs and all sorts of animals while enjoying their coffee or sandwiches. If they go out, they want to go to a place with interesting concepts like eating at a 500 ft height in a crane or being surrounded by robots or trying some fancy food item — any place or experience which they can share on social media. Variety, customisation and sharable experience (for example: Baahubali Thali, and Tandoori Chai) are driving the decisions of eating out.” 

Men have begun cooking and women have become increasingly reliant on their better halves to make food choices. Hence there will be a switch from frying to baking. “Finally baking is big time in and frying is now seen as a not-preferred cooking option. This will continue in the years to come — as men enter the kitchens, there will be more and more ready-to-cook chapatis, dal, curries and pastas in demand,” says Kamdar. 

When asked about the predictions for food prices, she says that prices of food will continue to shoot up — not just because of demand supply equations, but because of the choice of ingredients. “Zero fat, zero calorie are some of the buzz words that will catch people’s attention; but at the same time free WiFi, membership discounts on happy hours are also going to continue to attract more and more people to join the cafes and bars that offer this,” she adds. 

NEW ADDITIONS
Veeraj Shenoy, vice president, F&B and retail merchandise, Imagica, shares a list of new ingredients that will be in vogue in 2019...  

Slow food: Local, regional flavours would come out more, home, organic and clean cooking would be incorporated in the commercial kitchens as well.

Alternative ingredients: Breakthrough in regular ingredients would be explored, like oat milk, goat milk, red wheat flour, different grains for pasta. This options would lessen the burden on overused ingredients and be nutritionally at par.

Convenience food: The emphasis on fast-paced growth would get frozen food at another level in India. More and more urban cultures would explore convenience food in a larger way. Poke bowls are a good example too, for having one bowl meals having all nutrition packed for convenience.

Plant based foods: More options for vegans and vegetarians like zucchini pasta, zoodles (an incredibly fresh and healthy alternative to pasta) and plant-based dairy would evolve in India too.

Super powders: A healthy sprinkle of turmeric, flaxseed, cocoa, mathca or chia would be a new ingredient evolving in the Indian food scene. This would add nutrition, balance and colour to any and every dish paired.

WHAT’S ON INSTAGRAM?
The Instagram feeds were filled with edible flowers, activated charcoal, probiotic foods, glittery milkshakes, and superfoods, most of which will continue to rule 2019 along with some new trends that might sweep across the food industry. Chef Kasi, executive chef, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru, Sejal Shah, head chef and co-owner Maia — Eat Bake Mom, Bengaluru and Rashmi, co-owner, PurpleBasil, Bengaluru, share what will take the food industry by storm next year: 

Plant-based diet: As the popularity of plant-based diet shows no signs of stopping, 2019 will see an increasing number of vegan and vegetarian dishes on menus. Restaurants will experiment with interesting combinations of taste profiles and consumers will see quirky ingredients coming out of kitchens. Not just for the mains, but consumers will be exploring plant-based snacks as well. 

Environmental-friendly and minimalistic packaging: It’s cool to be kind. Players in the food business have been implementing sustainable practices to conserve energy, reduce waste, and provide healthier offerings. With an attempt to reduce the use of plastic bags and straws, restaurants and food delivery companies will definitely be looking to invest more on reusable cutlery and eco-friendly packaging. 

Alternative ingredients: Alternative and more intense ingredients are all set to take centre stage in 2019. For instance more usage of millet and whole wheat instead of the regular wheat flour, goat milk or oat milk instead of the common cow or buffalo milk. We also see soy milk and nut milk gaining popularity. The aim of this exercise is to lessen the pressure on the already overused ingredients and at the same time creating sustainable alternatives that are equally nutritious. 

Breakfast meals: The breakfast landscape is changing as consumers respond to the busy pace of modern life and evolving attitudes toward healthy eating. We feel, we will see new additions in menus like breakfast beverages, breakfast bowls and so on. 

Eat in Vs eat out: With the gaining popularity of meal kits, ready to eat food and healthy food delivery players in the market, people will have more options to eat at home than going out. We are certain that millennials will be seen subscribing to weekly and monthly healthy meal packs, more than ever.

Snacks from the marine: Supermarkets which stock healthier substitutes from the sea such as seaweed and salmon skins (which are loaded with vitamins, zinc and iron, along with antioxidants that help protect cells from damage), will definitely gain popularity

Nootropic foods: There will be high usage of nootropic foods (drugs, supplements, and substances that may improve cognitive function) in your meals next year. These are basically supplements which are good for your brain. Many of these foods you may have been eating already such as eggs, turmeric, salmon and dark chocolate. 

Ugly produce gains acceptance: Ugly vegetables and fruits will gain more acceptance, with consumers getting more aware of the problems of food waste. Moreover, generally vegetables using pesticides are perfect looking as compared to the organically grown ones. They’ll now seek out imperfect fruits and vegetables that may have gone to waste in the past.

Private labels: Given that the food tech space is booming with investment in India, we believe that 2019 will see a trend of more private labels being launched by the food tech majors as well as other existing brands in the F&B space. We can expect private labels that would cater to each dining occasion: Breakfast, lunch, snack time, dinner or small parties.

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