Trends

While “pandemic pounds” have been talked about frequently, an overall move towards disordered eating is emerging as a consequence of the past year.

In the retail industry, trend watching doesn’t just happen at the start of a new year. It’s a constant activity. During the Annual Meat Conference earlier this month, results of the most recent Power of Meat study where shared. Here are insights from the study and related opportunities for retail healthy living programs.

The platform is testing a “see full recipe” button that appears above the content creator’s username. 

There is a lot to celebrate during Frozen Food Month this March. Thanks to recent product innovations, high-quality ingredients and a variety of healthful new options, frozen food sales are soaring. The pandemic has only accelerated this growth as individuals and families appreciate the long shelf-life and easy preparation benefits that frozen foods provide, and a 2020 study from the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) suggests elevated sales will continue. Here are five educational motivators to keep shoppers feeling good about frozen: 

As we look at cultural diversity in the U.S., indigenous foods are receiving a lot of attention as a way to promote both personal and environmental health. These foods are culturally acceptable products that are obtained from local, natural environments. Think about dishes made from indigenous ingredients such as corn, beans, potatoes, amaranth, quinoa and natural wild rice used by the native inhabitants of America. Here are five reasons indigenous foods are important:

There are times when a new term comes across my desk and really captures my attention. This week it was granfluencers, and as I dug deeper, the expanded terms – Instagrannies, Power to the Grey -- drew me further in. What’s clear in my research is that understanding and leveraging granfluencers can be a powerful way for retail RDs to market their programs and services. Here are five things you need to know about granfluencers.

As many shoppers face recipe fatigue, it’s a perfect time to offer mealtime inspiration. Here are some ideas for providing needed solutions:

The beverage category has seen tremendous growth and change over the past several years and the pandemic has spurred on the development of imaginative new products focused on well-being. As consumers seek products with life-enhancing ingredients and attributes that promote wellness, retail dietitians should be equipped to provide expert advice while aligning appropriate, better-for-you beverage options within promotional programming. Here are some trends to look for:

There has been a lot written and discussed about how COVID-19 exposed the supply chain, how transportation flaws forced the surge in oat milk sales and how being stuck at home fueled the sales of baker’s yeast, flour and bread making machines. There is a lot more to the story that will, perhaps, change the way supermarket shelves look in the future.