Nutrition Trends

Now here is a refreshing trend - the move towards healthier eating. The American Dietetic Association recently released the results of their "Nutrition and You: Trends 2008" which was conducted earlier this year. The study separated people into 3 groups based on their attitudes on maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. The groups were "I am Already Doing It" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and regular exercise and trying to life that lifestyle); "I Know I Should" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and getting regular exercise are very important, but may not have taken steps to achieve this lifestyle), and "Don't Bother Me" (people who are least concerned with healthy nutrition and regular exercise and are not making an effort to life a healthy lifestyle). Since 2002 there has been a definite decrease in the latter group. There is a shift towards taking more interest and even action towards a healthier nutrition and exercise routine. 40% of people now report that they actively seek information about nutrition and healthy eating, which is up from 19% in 2000.

Why is this important to you? Because your consumer wants knowledge and they want help as they try to feed their families healthier foods. They want to know how to fit the products they love into a healthier lifestyle. You can talk about the nutritional benefits of your product on pack, on the web or in your advertisements. You can show consumers how to incorporate your products into a healthier diet for their families by featuring nutritionally balanced recipes on pack or on your product website (don't forget to include that nutritional information at the bottom of your recipes!).

Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying you should totally change your brand positioning to be a health brand if that is not who your brand is. What I am just advocating is that your brand keep up the the healthier lifestyle trends that consumers - find ways to fit in. Help educate your consumers on how your products can fit. You can also keep nutritional benefits in mind as you develop new products to launch. Give consumers lots of reasons to believe in your brand.

Home Entertaining

One trend that is definitely here to stay is home entertaining. It started back at 9/11 when folks just wanted to stay home and be with their families. It has since expanded to more of a home entertaining trend. People are no longer just nesting with their closest family members, they are enjoying hosting friends and extended family members in their homes. And whether is family game night, a formal sit down meal with neighbors or a gathering of the boys for a Sunday football game, you know there will be food and drinks there. (Americans rarely get together without sharing food!) Now this poses an interesting dilemma for most people. People love hosting other people in their homes, there needs to be food and drinks to share with guests, but most people have plain gotten out of the habit of cooking (unless you count microwavable meals and popcorn or course!) and don't know how to put together a spread for their guests to enjoy.

Luckily for us, for ever consumer dilemma there is an awesome opportunity for someone to come in with a solution. For this particular dilemma the opportunity goes to branded food products to come in and save the day by providing super simple semi-homemade recipes, tips and tricks. Now if make those recipes and ideas seasonally relevant you have really created something of value for consumers! Let me give you an example. Suppose you make slice and bake sugar cookie dough. This holiday season you could feature a recipe for Stain Glass Sugar Cookie Ornaments. (So super simple - use the premade sugar cookie dough and hard candies to make the stain glass cookies. While the cookies are still warm use a straw to make a hole at top then just add some ribbon and your consumers have created something they can proudly call their own at their next holiday party!) Let me give you another example. Suppose you make salsa. Why not wish everyone a Feliz Navidad with a simple microwave queso dip recipe? The recipe could be a simple as your branded salsa, a melting cheese and a can of chopped little green chilies melted together in the microwave safe bowl!

It is really easy to do but is does take just a little planning a head of the season to come up with recipes and appetizing photos you want to feature. So think ahead - what is the next season people might want to enjoy a dish made with your product - Superbowl, Easter dinner, 4th of July picnic....the possiblities are endless! Then decide how are you going to communicate your fabulous recipe idea - on pack, website, POS materials, etc? Just make sure you get your recipe ideas out there - consumers are hungry for easy entertaining ideas!

Eating What's Fresh

Just because summer is coming to an end that doesn't have to mean the end of fresh foods on your table. Every month of the year brings its own special foods into season. This month look for lots of yummy fall fruits and veggie appearing at market like apples, broccoli, pumpkins, pears and mushrooms.

No matter what type of food you are marketing, think of ways to use these seasonal fruits and vegetables to add excitement and new news to your recipes library. For example if you were marketing raisins think about a nice Back-to-School Apple Raisin Salad to feature on your carton. Or if you are marketing baking mix you could feature an inviting Warm Autumn Pear Cobbler on the home page of your website. Consumers love seasonally relevant recipes....especially when the recipes are simple and use ingredients they can easily find.

The Evolving Taste of Children

Adults aren’t the only ones with increasingly sophisticated palates; children’s tastes are evolving too. According to Mintel’s March 2008 Kid’s Snacking Report, 30% of kids 6-12-year-olds report that unusual flavors make snaking more fun, while 67% liked to try new kinds of snacks. So what kind of flavors are piquing kid’s interest these days? Check out the list of Up-and Coming Savory Flavors for Kids by International Flavors and Fragrances. These flavors definitely move beyond the macaroni and cheese from a box that made my day when I was in middle school!

Up-and Coming Savory Flavors for Kids
Jalapeno-Cheddar Chili
Sizzlin’ Fajita
Smokin’ Cajun
Chipotle BBQ
Spicy Thai Peanut
Cheeseburger
Sour Dill Pickle
Hot Buffalo and Cool Ranch
Grilled Cheese
BLT
Asian BBQ
Sweet Corn Salsa
Pineapple Jalapeno

Big Trend in Small Bites

Sometimes to find the next big idea or trend you have to think smaller – as in snack size! Whether savory or sweet, there is definitely an increased interest in bite-sized and sharable snack foods. According to an October 2007 National Restaurant Association survey the #1 hot new culinary trend for 2008 is bite-sized desserts followed by the #4 hot new trend of small plate dishes or tapas.

Why this interest in snack foods and snacking occasions? Well just like every other trend this year in America, you trace part of the cause to the slowing economy. In an effort to conserve money while not giving up entirely on our love of going out to eat, people are choosing to go out for appetizers and small dishes rather than full meals. But it is more than just our light wallets driving our interest in smaller portions. There is also a desire for more variety. Ordering several smaller dishes allows for more diversity of foods in an eating occasion. Another contributor is the social aspect to snack foods and appetizers. These types of foods lend themselves more to sharing and socializing than plated dinner entrees. Another contributing factor that cannot be ignored in the snacking or mini-meal trend is definitely our hectic schedules. When you are constantly on the go grab-and-go snacks or quick mini-meals just fit in between activities better than a sit down meal. Finally there is that constant struggle to eat more healthy. After years of super-sizing their food and their waistlines, many Americans are looking to down-sizing (or “Right-sizing” if you prefer) their meals rather than giving up the foods they love entirely.

Whether you think of these small bites as savory snacks, mini meals, dessert bites or appetizer flights, this is definitely a trend that is here to stay. Even if you are not in the restaurant industry this is a trend to which you should pay attention. If you are consumer brand manager cookbook author or food editor for magazine, here are some simple ideas to capitalize on this trend and promote usage of your product.

1) Stretch you concept of your product to include appetizer, mini-meals or snacking occasions. For example if your product is frozen French fries move beyond the side dish application and suggest a platter of Cheesy Spicy Nacho French Fries for a game day get together (I know, not every recipe can follow the better for you trend!). If your product is pea soup, suggest pea soup shooters (think shot glass of pea soup with a dollop of sour cream on top) as a super cool and trendy appetizer suggestion for urban cocktail party. If your product is canned corn, a recipe for simple corn salsa would do the trick. If you manage a brand of pork BBQ think smaller and suggest your consumer try BBQ sliders. See nearly any product can fit the small plate trend.

2) The KISS rule still applies – Keep it Simple Simple! In general consumers have even less time to prepare snacks than meals. Your serving suggestions and recipe ideas need to be simple, quick and easy. It also helps to be visual. If you are suggesting a usage occassion outside of your consumer's idea of typical, a picture can make the idea more appealing and do-able.

3) You appeal to more people with variety than a single idea. Not every recipe will fit everybody’s taste and desires and that is ok. That is why you want to have a large variety of recipes and marketing them to your consumers in different ways. For example you market a brand of guacamole and you know you core consumer puts your product on tacos and on chips and that is about it. Showing those 2 applications over and over will never inspire anyone to try something new (expanded usage occasions). It will also not speak to potential new consumers the way showing a variety of usage occasions. So let’s take that same product and add a recipe for Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Guacamole Dip or Spicy Scallop Stackers (tortilla chip with a dollop of guacamole, a seared scallop a thin slice of jalapeno and topper of sour cream) and a serving suggestion of using guacamole as a dip on a vegetable tray. Now you are really expanding the possible usage occasions and making the product more appealing to new consumers!

Functional Superstar - Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a rising star in the world of functional foods. According to a 2007 study by the International Food Information Council out of Washington, DC, 71% of consumers report they are aware of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is up 8% from the previous year. Food manufactures are (or should be) taking notice of this important food trend. According to recent study by Packaged Facts in Rockville, MD, the market for omega-3 fortified foods has exploded from $100 million in 2002 to $2 billion in 2006. Impressive growth!

Just in case you are unfamiliar with omega-3 fatty acids and their health benefits, let me give you a quick summary. Omega-3's are naturally found in seafood, such salmon, tuna, mackerel and shellfish, as well as, some vegetation like flax seeds, walnuts, soy and canola oil. (Though the Omega-3's in seafood appear to pack a better healthy benefits punch than the plant derived Omega-3's.) The FDA has found enough supporting evidence to allow claims on food packaging that the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, reduce the risk of coronary disease. In addition to the heart benefits there is evidence that long-chain omega-3's have benefits to brain development and functioning. Omega-3's have shown success in treating psychiatric disorders (such as major depressive disorder and schizophrenia) and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Also there is evidence that long-chain omega-3's also are successful in treating rheumatoid arthritis and reducing the risk of certain cancers, as well as, other ailments. (And just in case you were wondering, short-chain omega-3's are good too, but they don't pack nearly the healthy benefits of long-chain omega-3's. )

So, if you are a lucky manufacture of products that naturally have or are fortified with omega-3s, hopefully you are taking advantage of this consumer interest in this functional food's attributes. But what if you are a food manufacture who doesn't make a food product with omega-3's benefits, is there any way that you can get still hook your wagon to omega-3s shooting star? Absolutely! The fastest, simplest and easiest way is to provide your consumers with some recipes for your products that incorporate omega-3 rich ingredients. For example maybe you produce a branded crushed pineapple. You could provide an on-pack recipe for a simple pineapple salsa over grilled salmon. It would provide you with a great the opportunity to call out the omega-3 benefits of the recipe and your brands dedication to healthier living. Or maybe you produce a brand of breakfast baking mix. You could think about giving your consumers a recipe like Blueberry and Walnut Coffee Cake made with flax seed oil on an in-pack insert. You can use the space to tout your brand's dedication to helping your consumers make heart health choices. Almost any product can be pared with some form of ingredients that can produce recipes with functional benefits. It just takes dedication to that goal and a little creativity the kitchen. Delicious product specific recipes with functional benefits create great opportunities to tap into your consumers' desire for delicious better-for-you eating experiences.

The Oil Impact

What is the biggest food trend so far in 2008? Unfortunately it is rising food prices. If you are a food producer or seller you have no doubt felt this impact on your bottom line. You may have even already made the painful decision to take price with your customers. On an even more personal level you have no doubt felt the impact on your own wallet as well, when it is your turn to be the consumer.

Why the dramatic spike in food cost? Well the most obvious culprit is sky rocking oil prices. Oil impacts the food chain in ways most of us never consider. Oil is a key ingredient in the fertilizers and pesticides that farmers use on crops - like corn, wheat and soy beans. It then takes oil to harvest and transport those crops to distribution centers and on to market. If those crops are then used to feed live stock more oil will be required to process and transport the meat. If the crops are used for processed foods (like hamburger buns, tater tots, or a box of corn bread mix) then more oil is used in the transportation and processing of those products. And don’t forget the oil that also goes into the production and transportation of all that beautiful packaging that encapsulates all the tasty food products we buy. Wow it takes a lot of oil to make a meal when I put it that way!

Since we know oil prices are unlikely to be headed south anytime soon (if ever) are there any things you can do to help your consumers (and your own family) with their rising food bills? Absolutely! You can offer recipes that deliver more bang for the buck. Offer up seasonal recipes that capitalize on locally available seasonal products (which cuts down on transportation costs). Produce cost typical aren’t as impacted as meat and processed foods prices so offer recipes that use generous amounts of fruits and veggies. Finally you can also offer Asian and Mediterranean style recipes that use meat, dairy and fish more as flavorings than main ingredients. Just remember to keep in mind the cooking skill level and available meal prep/cooking time for your key target demographic. Unless you are specifically targeting the most proficient and prolific cooks with your recipes, don’t get so gourmet (i.e. too complicated or time consuming) in your recipe offerings that you loose the interest of your key target market.