There’s no doubt that we, as consumers, are influenced by foodie trends and hot topics – not to mention the fact that as different flavours grow in popularity it generally becomes much easier to get hold of them, or foods that incorporate them.
We know that you’re not going to want to embrace every food trend that comes along, but it’s worth being aware of some of the things that those in the industry expect to see in the coming months.
Just-Food recently shared insights from the UK’s Food & Drink Trends & Innovation Conference, which took place in London recently.
One thing that consumers have embraced – and that more and more retailers, restaurants and takeaways will need to take onboard – is that meat-free and other free-from options are here to stay, according to Steve Walpole of Ugo Foods Group.
For anyone who has been vegetarian for a while, Thai takeaway in Dagenham is likely to have been one of your go-to options for a quick and tasty dinner, given that this style of cooking offers a host of delicious vegetarian options.
Another trend came not from the food that we eat, but from the way in which we order it. E-commerce in the food industry is becoming ever more important. The digital environment has not given consumers more choice in terms of what they order and when, and made it easier than ever to shop or order dinner in.
Of course, mobile apps play a key role in this when it comes to the likes of takeaways and ordering hot food to be delivered.
The next challenge for those in the food industry is to deliver value and personalisation, Rob Martineau, head of products at sports nutrition business Tribe, told the news provider.
Managing director of Tuk In Foods Thomas Cropper also predicted that anything that’s convenient will be a hit with consumers.
“There is a growth in convenience and food-to-go. The biggest driver of this is consumers’ growing time pressures,” he explained.
Earlier this year, Sky News cited data collected by Cancer Research UK, which found that every week, consumers in the UK eat 100 million fast food and takeaway meals.
Although there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to the occasional takeaway or ready meal, the research noted that making this a regular habit could mean you’re consuming too much sugar, salt and fat.
If you do want to order a Thai takeaway for dinner, there are a number of healthy options on the menu – and The Culture Trip recently offered some advice about which Thai dishes are the healthiest ones to tuck into.
Kaeng liang (vegetable soup Thai style) is a great starter or light meal, because it’s packed full of vegetables. Pad pak (fried vegetables) is another great option if you want a healthier meal.
For those who enjoy eating meat, look out for gai pad med mamuang (chicken with cashew nuts). The news provider noted that although cashew nuts contain fat, they’re also packed with other nutrients. The dish usually also includes onion and baby corn.
