A 2015 Hot List

2.6
Good choices and sustainable actions take time to be proven... actually time is the only thing which shows them to be good or sustainable. I think one day we'll look back on this modern era and wonder how large segments of population slid into the unhealthy and unsustainable choices so prevalent today. On the flip side, there is value in getting back to basics...back to simple. Basic and simple can be healthful when good choices are consistently lived out day after day.

So I was encouraged when I saw the results of the 2015 Culinary Forecast published by the National Restaurant Association. This year the NRA canvassed almost 1,300 professional chefs on what the hot trends will be on US restaurant menus. The results are shared in their What's Hot in 2015 list, which came out in December. There is a ton of great food trend information published in the list, and it gives perspective on what these experts expect to see in their establishments this year.

Here are the top 20 trends published in this years' results:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Environmental sustainability
4. Healthful kids’ meals
5. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
6. New cuts of meat
7. Hyper-local sourcing
8. Sustainable seafood
9. Food waste reduction/management
10. Farm/estate branded items
11. Non-wheat noodles/pasta
12. Gluten-free cuisine
13. Ancient grains
14. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
15. Non-traditional fish
16. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
17. Nutrition
18. House-made/artisan ice cream
19. Fruit/vegetable kids’ side items
20. Artisan cheeses

Refreshingly, all of these expected trends lean hard toward nutritionally and environmentally sustainable practices. There are little to no processed foods represented, as well as almost a total lack of packed, preserved foods. Of course, these are restaurants, presumably serving fresh-cooked favorites and new creations alike, so we'd expect them to focus on fresh, local whole-food ingredients as much as possible.

One very notable addition to the list for 2015 is #5 - Natural Ingredients / Minimally Processed Food. I think this is remarkable in two ways: first that it broke the top ten, and second that it speaks to a whole-food focus. For not having made the list before this year, I think this shouts loudly that the experts are aware of the natural, unprocessed food trend.

Check out the web page for the 2015 Culinary Forecast by clicking here. It's a great read...especially some of the sub-statistics and call-outs for how things are trending. With all these great trends coming to our restaurants, it will give us a break from our power pantry and cooking at home. And there's a good chance we'll be inspired with something healthful we'll want to cook ourselves.

By the Way

Page 4 of the report shares broader analysis of what's trending by calling out New Top Trends, Perennial Favorites, Yesterday's News, and Steady in Top 20 Food Trends (since 2009). I like the 'Steady' category, because these nine trends have been consistent for 6 years now, with Nutrition and Locally Sourced Items among them. Here's the list:

Locally sourced itemsHealthful kids’ mealsEnvironmental sustainabilityGluten-free cuisineSustainable seafoodNutritionNew cuts of meatNon-traditional fi shFruit/vegetable sides in kids’ meals