Part two of our future food trends 2023 and would it even be January without some health and wellbeing trends? Here are our five we think will pop in 2023 and beyond. If you missed our taste and cuisine trends last week, no worries, you can get them here. If you’re ready to get stuck into this weeks health and wellbeing trends, then read on.

Holistic Wellbeing

This is a big part of life for younger generations who have been the most impacted emotionally and mentally by the pandemic, cost of living crisis and environmental disasters. As a result 46% of Gen Z say they feel stressed most of the time and 35% took time off work last year due to stress and anxiety. Different to generations before them, mental health is considered as important as physical health - they would think nothing more of paying for therapy sessions than they would paying for a gym membership. In their everyday lives they are searching for ways to reduce stress and strengthen their mental wellbeing, and will favour brands who support this. Food is a catalyst to bring people together at the table to share problems and talk with friends and family so it has a natural link with mental health - not just from a nutrition perspective. 

Mindful Cooking

Following on nicely, one way Gen Z are easing stress is through mindful cooking. With 361k views for #mindfulcooking on TikTok, it has become an important wellbeing activity as well as a way to express creativity. Cooking from scratch is now a commonly stated hobby amongst this audience, as they try new flavours, perfect recipes and share it all on social along the way. This poses a challenge for convenience foods but a huge opportunity to showcase recipes incorporating the products and what to accompany them with, for example how to make the perfect side dish, sauce or relish. 

Forgotten Superpowers

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Now, we all know that fruit and vegetables are good for our body but have you ever thought about the benefits to your mind? This year we are set to see a shift in the nutritional values of food to focus more on how they feed the mind, as these forgotten superpowers dominate packaging and advertising. Fruit and vegetables will be promoted as sources of increased energy and mood boosts. For example, legumes like pinto beans and leafy green vegetables are sources of magnesium, a mineral that has been linked with reducing stress and fatigue. Nutrition will become a valued tool for cognitive health management that helps power people in their jobs, hobbies and leisure time. Consumers will seek out food and drink that influence cognitive capacity, manage stress levels and optimise brain function so we are bound to see a wave of new products entering the market with cognitive health benefits. 

Flexercise

HIIT classes, spin bikes and CrossFit aren’t for everyone. Enter the flexercise trend, which emphasises the benefits of movement over sweating and weight-loss. People of all ages are enjoying more mellow ways to move their bodies, from starting a daily stretching routine to nature walks. Pinterest has seen a rise in global flexercise search data including +135% searches for lazy workout in bed, +95% searches for walking in nature and +80% searches for daily stretching. Perfect for those who are time-poor as these activities can fit in with daily life. Exercise and food go hand-in-hand under health so encouraging customers to get moving and position your brand as a post-flexercise snack or post-walk meal will be very 2023. 

Dopamine Dressing

Dressing loud is the new dressing down with dopamine dressing. People are heading somewhere over the rainbow this year with vibrant outfits and colourful palettes to brighten up their mood. From rainbow dresses to electric blue outfits, fashion will be all about what makes you feel-good. There is a science behind this too, as different colours produce different chemicals in our brains. Yellow stimulates the feel-good chemical serotonin while blue has a calming effect and many fast food restaurants use red liberally as it helps stimulate hunger. This trend will expand out of fashion and into design, and should be considered for packaging, food photography and recipe ingredients. The latest brand example is Ryvita who have embraced full bright colours in a new visual identity hoping to stand-out in an increasingly saturated green packaged health food category. 

We hope this article provided you with some mindful reading time, away from emails. If you enjoyed this, look out for Part three: sustainability, coming next week.

Coming up:

Week three: sustainability 

• Energy saving: how to store and prepare food using less energy, air fryer instructions for example
• Eating garbage: finding a use for leftover peelings, pulps, soft or bruised veg so it doesn’t go in the bin
• Local seasonal eating: eating what is in season and locally available reduces carbon footprint and is better for your health
• CO2 tracking: new technology enabling customers to track their individual CO2 emissions
• Product passport: blockchain technology enabling increased traceability of products
• Cancel culture: boycotting brands because of their actions or non-actions