Nutrition for Healthspan Initiative
2021 Trends
TREND 1: Self-Care
People will make conscious choices to direct their own self-care to support their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, and there will be greater emphasis on natural solutions versus conventional medicine. Gut health, immunity and prevention will take a front-row seat. Self-care studies historically focused on those with an illness or chronic disease; we will start to see more research on self-care as a means of prevention.
TREND 2: Personal Nutrition
Nutrition will become increasingly targeted, enabling individuals to eat according to their specific body type and needs versus following one-size-fits-all diets. Topics ranging from nutrition advice, products and services to customized vitamins and supplements will be addressed.
TREND 3: Holistic Diets
Diets that advocate a holistic approach to eating and promote eating for holistic health, especially those that recommend increased fresh vegetable consumption and a decrease in farmed protein, will gain followers. The Pegan Diet (Mark Hyman) is an example of a hybrid solution that combines the best of two different approaches—paleo and vegan.
TREND 4: Cooking at Home
The pandemic got more people in the kitchen cooking meals and eating with family. As people noticed the benefits of eating home-cooked food, including quality time spent together, businesses will cater to this market and make things easier with apps, blogs and better equipment.
TREND 5: Food for Mood
Food has a direct impact on mood, and it can supply natural antidotes for mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression and stress. Omega-3 fatty acids, dark chocolate, fermented foods, bananas and berries are known mood-enhancers, and we’ll see a rise in psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, herbs and more as people look to empower themselves naturally.
TREND 6: Organically Grown/Raised Food
There’s increasing awareness and concern over commercial agricultural trends and processed foods that impact illness, disease and food intolerances. People who want cleaner food will grow their own food, create new farm trends, and develop new pathways for obtaining organic food.
TREND 7: Nutritious Drink Treats
There is a rise in better–tasting health foods and safer, cleaner alternatives to certain “vices.” Nutritious options offer the flavor of favorite “cheat day” splurges without the guilt. Mocktails, also known as virgin drinks, are alcohol-free drinks that blend delicious and healthy ingredients without the booze. Kombucha is a fermented tea that offers a wide variety of benefits. These are attracting the health-conscious crowd as a growing number of people are tuning in to their physical and mental health and cutting back on calories and potential headaches the following day.
