Immunity-boosting supplements will be a top 2021 trend

Two U.S. chains have undertaken to forecast food trends for next year. Founded in 1955, Natural Grocers sells natural and organic foods, personal care products and nutritional supplements with 160 stores. Founded in 1982 and with 159 stores, The Fresh Market helps with the daily meal with quality ingredients, ready-to-eat solutions, fresh vegetables, meat and seafood, baked goods, including thousands of organic items.

Home cooking differently

The past year has certainly impacted the way we eat, with mandatory quarantines necessitating cooking from home more than ever before. This has also given rise to people becoming more confident in the kitchen and the desire to try new cuisines or put new twists on traditional favorites. The Fresh Market asked their world class curators to pick their top 10 innovative, delicious must-try specialty foods based on the latest trends.

Juggling working from home, virtual schooling and getting their families fed, offering busy families a way to put a restaurant quality meal on the table fast has led to the growth of The Fresh Market’s Market Meal Kits. Little Big Meals are more popular than ever, providing a great value for families of four and helping with weekday menu planning. The meal offerings change weekly and typically come with a main entrée, vegetables, a side dish or salad from the deli and dessert.

Nuts are nature’s perfect snack – they are packed with protein, fiber, good-for-you fats and are heart healthy. The Fresh Market offers 35 different flavored nuts in the bulk section

Another hot trend is seasonings and spices. The Fresh Market has custom-made seasoning blends that not only add heat, but a whole new flavor dimension to meals.

Travel bans that have put the kibosh on luxury travel has translated to guests splurging more on best-in-class foods. The Fresh Market is known for these highly curated items, like the No. 1 rated Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the world, Castillo de Canena, or getting in a highly allocated shipment of the World Cheese Awards champion Organic Rogue River Blue Cheese, to offering Ultimate Steakhouse Dinner Meals that include prime steaks, twice baked potatoes, asparagus, caprese salad and The Fresh Market’s signature fruit tart with one pound of fresh fruit.

Decadent Snacking is a trend too. Wide assortment from gourmet popcorn in flavors like Birthday Cake to Sweet Cream Biscuits with Peach Jam.

There is always lots of innovation happening in the beverage category. There are new ones to try that provide a new take on soda with an extra pop of benefits: kombucha with belly-loving prebiotics, minerals, and real fruit, plant fibers, prebiotics and botanicals that also support gut health.

Back to the basics

Natural Grocers™, America’s Nutrition Education ExpertsSM, announced the fifth annual Top 10 Nutrition Trends1 predictions, a composite of the most anticipated and unexpected health, nutrition, and food trends for the coming year. COVID-19 is a pandemic that sits on top of another pandemic in the United States of malnutrition and poor long-term health. 2021 holds broader trends that focus on improving nutrition to support our own health, as well as the health of our communities and our environment.

Natural Grocers’ Top 10 Nutrition Trends® for 2021, which include getting back to the basics, immune-boosting strategies, The Climatarian and customized fitness nutrition.

They have recognized the importance of “armoring up” and supporting the immune system on a daily basis so it can function optimally over the long haul. Boosting immune competence comes from nutrients like: vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc are three basics that are easy, affordable, and effective. They know that supporting blood sugar balance is a key method to be rooted in health.

Compassion and empathy are crucial for helping de-stress, and de-stressing is crucial for health. De-stressing is also remarkably beneficial for our immune health, as stress hormones like cortisol significantly impair our immune response.

2021 will see olive oil making a comeback. Olive oil has always had a place in the “good fat” category, and for worthy reasons. This long-beloved oil has a well-known role in the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Most of us have been cooking at home more since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and while many of us had fun exploring complicated new recipes, and did so much baking in the beginning we had baked goods for days, as the months passed and we realized we’re in this for the long haul, priorities shifted and now we’re on the search for easy meals that taste good, and are also affordable and healthy. Consumers are looking for quick and affordable solutions to cooking, meal planning, and meals that do not require a lot of prep. 2021 will pave the way to reinventing what cooking at home looks like, and Natural Grocers is leading the way with its good4u℠ Meal Deals.

Vegetables will be front & center  – one nutrition recommendation that has remained constant is that we all need to eat more vegetables.

As we move into 2021, we will be going back to the basics to take control of—and actively improve—our health. It’s time to finally prioritize sleep, clean up our diets, make time for exercise and daily movement, and recognize the value of key, foundational supplements.