High-Five for These Five Healthy Food Trends

Food has seen some interesting trends during the years, from Jell-O salads to unicorn-themed everything. What’s in store for food in 2022? 

Allen Marketing Communications, Inc., a boutique food and beverage public relations agency based in New York City, shares the latest about the new food trends.

Hydroponics
Hydroponic gardening is the practice of growing plants without soil, which usually involves feeding them added nutrients. This allows the growth of plants in places where they normally wouldn’t be able to grow, such as highly urban and industrialized places such as cities.

The hydroponic gardening market has been “estimated at $1 billion in 2019, and projected to reach $16 billion by 2025,” according to the Chicago Tribune. This growing trend allows gardeners full control over the plant environment and the ability to yield fresh produce all-year-round. Juicy tomatoes in January, anyone?

This practice has also led to the creation of hydroponic devices that can sit on your kitchen counter. Most of us don’t have the time to care for plants, watering and feeding them on a regular basis – but these devices, some of them even coming with a built-in LED light to help growth, according to Gardeningetc, will allow those who love gardening but just don’t have the time to do it in their own kitchen (and without having to clean up the mess that soil makes!).

Foraging
The shift in recent years forward towards healthier and cleaner eating has actually led to a shift backwards in time: foraging. As people become more and more concerned with what they put in their bodies, they look to their backyards and realize, “Hey, right out there in the woods, we can go and harvest food that actually tastes really good,” says The Globe and Mail.

Foraging is something that takes practice, though, as something as simple as mistaking one mushroom for another could lead to someone getting very sick, or worse. That’s why foraging experts teach classes to those eager to learn how to forage safely and have fun doing it (The Globe and Mail, StyleBlueprint). 

Plant-Based Foods
The Covid-19 pandemic has fostered a renewed interest in plant-based foods (a.k.a. Vegetarian diet) as consumers look for natural ways to boost one’s immunity.  

With the plant-based options expanding beyond beef into plant-based chicken, it’s becoming more and more accessible and easy to switch to a plant-based diet today. Companies and scientists are working together to mimic top meat products with plants, containing almost the same amount of protein and nutrients.

The latest food trends seem to be working towards a healthier and more sustainable future for not just food, but the planet as well. These food trends may not be crazy, but they’re crazy good for you and for the environment, as well. 

Urban Gardening
It’s difficult to find places to grow produce in urban areas such as cities, but this new trend encourages people to get creative and look at every space as an opportunity for growth. From rooftops, to kitchen counters, to balconies, urban farming is on a mission to get cities as green as possible.

“Urban gardening is the most accessible practice for gardeners in the city; however, it doesn’t have to occur on a roof. It could be in a community garden, where residents grow their own vegetables, herbs and flowers,” according to ProMix.

Other examples of urban gardening –a green roof (“a layer of vegetation growing on a roof”), and a green wall (“a vertical layer of vegetation found on the outside or inside wall of a building.”) (Source:  ProMix)  

Rooftop greenhouse is simply a greenhouse space built on an industrial rooftop.

Growing Food at Home
It’s no question that getting fruits and vegetables at the store is easier and quicker than growing them at home.  But with how many benefits there are to growing your own produce, it’s clear that there’s a more sustainable and healthy option.

With Covid-19 still prevalent today, growing your own produce is not only healthier because of the lack of pesticides, but also because you don’t risk exposure going into a grocery store to get your food.

In addition, while planting, taking care of, and picking your own fruits and vegetables takes more work than simply buying them. It gives you the opportunity to spend some time outside and working with your hands. This allows you to get exercise while also maintaining vitamin D levels from the sun, helping your body function efficiently and keeping energy levels high.

Check out the latest on other trends from food and beverage public relations experts at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc. 

By Marley Merrihew at Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

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