How we look, feel and perform every day is linked to our diet. This is exactly why consumers are starting to think about health and wellness more holistically. Most of us want to improve these aspects of our lives and recognize the role that good nutrition plays. As the new year approaches, here are some nutritional trends to consider for 2023.
Plant-based eating: tackling both sustainability and food waste
Whether the diet you choose is vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian, plant-based eating isn’t going out of style anytime soon. Plant-based diets are not new, but more and more products are becoming mainstream to appeal to those who recognize the benefits of a plant-based diet, not only for the body but also for the health of the planet .
Plant foods are nutrient-dense, meaning they provide an abundance of nutrients relative to their caloric cost. Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, and they are naturally cholesterol-free. Most also provide a good amount of fiber, which helps improve gut health and keep your digestive tract functioning properly, which can support immunity and reduce inflammation.
In addition to seeking the positive health effects of plant-based eating, consumers are including more plant foods in their diets due to concerns for the environment and our food systems. According to a Study at Oxford UniversityMeat consumption produces twice as many greenhouse gas emissions per day as a plant-based diet, and consumers are increasingly aware of the role their food choices can play in protecting the environment. ‘environment.
Studies show that raising plant foods uses fewer natural resources and is less polluting than raising animals for food. If consumer trends continue towards more plant-based foods, they can have a significant impact on reducing deforestation, land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions associated with meat production .
Personalization
Consumers are moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to managing their dietary goals. Personalized or precision nutrition, which uses diet and lifestyle as well as individual biomarkers to develop healthy and more relevant dietary suggestions for the individual, continues to grow in popularity.
The global personalized nutrition market was valued at $14 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $37 billion by 2030, almost three times the market size in 2021. research said. This phenomenon is particularly appealing to millennial and Gen Z consumers, 49% and 37% of whom, respectively, expressed a strong preference for products, services or apps that leverage personal data to personalize the consumer experience, data shows from McKinsey.
Several factors determine how the diet can be personalized. As various forms of personalized assessment become more widespread, we can gain more information about ourselves that can be used to personalize our diet to improve our health or achieve specific goals. How much exercise you do, how much and what you eat, and your age are contributing factors. But we are now also able to determine individual responses to certain food components, and this information can be used for a more tailored approach.
Dual-use nutrition
Another trend we are seeing is the growing demand for food and products targeting multiple dimensions of wellness. Consumers are becoming more nutrition savvy and, as a result, more proactive when it comes to healthcare. So they’re looking for ways to improve their health through functional foods, foods that provide benefits beyond just their nutritional value. Nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are considered functional foods, but functional foods can also be those enriched with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, probiotics, or fiber.
For example, today’s consumers are looking for products that address physical and mental health concerns. This includes products like herbal teas that offer a delicious flavor but may also have calming effects or promote better sleep. Collagen is a very popular ingredient in many functional foods and is known to support bone health while improving the external appearance of hair, skin and nails.
Gut-friendly foods
Consumer interest in a healthy gut microbiome will continue to grow in 2023. A diet rich in prebiotic fiber helps promote the growth of good bacteria (probiotics) in the digestive tract and supports the proper balance of microbiota in the system. Since most Americans consume less than half of the recommended 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, including many fiber-rich foods (and supplements, if necessary) can provide many benefits. Probiotics are found naturally in foods like yogurt, kefir, tempeh, miso, and fermented pickled vegetables, but they’re also much more prevalent than ever in a variety of functional foods and supplements.
Expect to see more and more products containing both prebiotics and probiotics on the market, as well as a growing range of probiotics to address specific health concerns.
Additionally, expect to see more products for specific digestive issues, for example, even more gluten-free products than ever before and products designated as suitable for a low FODMAP plan.
Gluten is a protein found primarily in wheat, but also in barley, rye, and wheat relatives (such as spelt). People with a diagnosed gluten intolerance (celiac disease) should avoid all gluten; However, many people also seek out gluten-free foods to reduce their grain intake, because gluten serves as a “marker” for wheat, the primary source of grains in the American diet.
A low-FODMAP diet is often recommended for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, the most common digestive disorder in the United States, which can cause stomach pain and bloating. FODMAP stands for “fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols” and refers to certain carbohydrates that are difficult for many to digest. As a result, these compounds are broken down by gut bacteria, releasing gases. The low FODMAP diet is quite restrictive, but food products with the low FODMAP designation can be found on store shelves, making the diet easier to manage.
Gut-friendly diets are also growing in popularity due to the effects of a healthy microbiome on overall brain health. Our brain and digestive tract are in constant communication with each other. Actually, evidence suggests that when the microbiome interacts with the central nervous system, brain chemistry is regulated and influences neuroendocrine systems associated with stress response, anxiety, and memory function. Experts We also agree that not only are our brains “aware” of our gut microbes, but these bacteria can influence our perception of the world and change our behavior, suggesting that the healthier we eat, the better we are. mental state.
About the Author
Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND, is the senior director of global nutrition education and training at Herbalife Nutrition.
