Food Buzzwords and Trends for 2008

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The more global we become, the more trends from around the world will affect our food. In 2008 you will probably encounter the following food-related buzzwords and trends.

• Locavore: designated Word of the Year for 2007 by the New Oxford American Dictionary. A locavore is a person who, whenever possible, dines on and utilizes foods locally grown or produced.
• Gastro-pups: I love this name. Any idea what it means? Rozanne Gold, author of Kids Cook 1-2-3 coined this term which refers to the renewed interest or revival of kids’ cooking classes and food products designed for kids.
• Junk-free Foods: you have your own concept of junk food but food activists refer to ‘junk’ as additives, colors, flavors, preservatives, or otherwise ‘unknown ingredients’ that you find on a food label.
• Foodprint: not footprint. Foodprint is the amount of land required to provide one person’s nutritional needs for a year. Researchers at Cornell University coined this term. They determined that someone who followed a low-fat vegetarian diet would need less than one-half an acre to sustain their yearly food needs while a high-fat diet with a lot of meat requires 2.1 acres to feed one person for the year. Food for thought.

Hot food trends for ‘08 include:

• Lower sodium: I predict that sodium will follow in the footsteps of trans fat and be the new item or bad guy to remove from food. The Food and Drug Administration has already held a public hearing on limiting sodium in processed foods. The American Medical Association believes that if the sodium level in both restaurant and processed foods were cut in half, upwards of 150,000 lives per year could be saved.

• Clean labels: this term ties in with the buzzword junk-free food. Hydrogenated fat has been removed from many food products and this year you can expect to see the same thing happen as additives, preservatives and artificial colors are removed to give a ‘clean label’. Imagine knowing what is in your food instead of the ingredient list reading like the items you find on a chemist’s shelf.

• Phytonutrients: get out of the way, antioxidants, you’re yesterday’s news. In with phytonutrients which are naturally occurring compounds found in food with a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. You probably know a few of these compounds already such as lycopene in tomatoes and lutein for the eyes found in pumpkin and squash and of course, flavonoids in chocolate.

• Good for Your Gut: just watch TV and you’re likely to see an ad promoting a product that’s good for your gut and immune system or regularity. Everything from fiber to prebiotics and probiotics are showing up in food.

• Brain Food: there are days I can definitely use this one…how about you? From omega-3s in fish to flavonoids in chocolate and antioxidants in pomegranate blueberry juice, various compounds are being touted to improve memory, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, or nourish the brain. Expect to hear much more in this arena.