Trendspotting 2011: Aprons for men, nutmeg as aphrodisiac for women

But naturally, with more and more people going for less and less preservatives/additives in their food, processed food is on the wane — or on the way out in 2011. Our resident nutritionist Dr. Angel Respicio, reporting from Hawaii, takes a close look at Innova Market Insights’ very absorbing forecast for 2011: As it declared 2008 as the year to “go natural” — and keep a tab on “sustainability rise” — and took note of the “trading up and down” in 2009 and the pervading “sense of simplicity” in 2010, it boldly predicts, “Processed is out for 2011, with consumers growing tired of being increasingly disassociated from the food they eat and turning against products full of complicated additives and with overly-long shelf lives. This has resulted in the natural/clean-label trend taking the US, in particular, by storm, with launches on a natural, organic or no additives/preservatives positioning rising dramatically over the past two years.”

     But comes this all-consuming question: Just how do we get ourselves unused to the processed food we’ve been so used to eating for ages now?

You say you can’t? Yes, you can! Just follow this seven-step plan to wean yourself off processed foods (slowly but surely now), as concocted by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough in their book Real Food Has Curves:

1. Seek true satisfaction. Enjoy genuine  flavors, rather than fat, sugar, and salt added to mask the metallic taste of chemical additives.

2. Read labels wisely. You can find food with “real” ingredients in the supermarket if you read labels carefully.

3. Relish what’s on your plate. Devote time  solely to enjoying the pleasures of eating.

 4. Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and  sugar. You can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes like strong spices.

5. Give your palate time to change. You’ll  gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods.

6. Go for high-quality foods. Look for  products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients.

7. Treat yourself well by not skipping  meals. Try eating three meals a day at fairly regular times, plus a mid-afternoon snack.

With people hungry for change, the 1950s saw the advent of the so-called TV dinner (because people were practically eating their food in front of the TV, as most people still do today). Thus, “the concept of food has expanded from meat, vegetables, raw dairy products, fruit, and other such natural items to include the highly processed, preserved, artificially flavored and often brightly colored chemical concoctions. But man simply was not designed to thrive on man-made chemicals.”

Thus, organic food became popular (read: food without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, ionizing radiation; meat or dairy from animals that were raised without antibiotics or growth hormones). As well as organic products like organic pet food and treats, environmentally-friendly soaps and cleaning products, even organic clothes.

And now, let’s look at the foods that are bound to make noise in the New Year, according to The Food Channel and as explained by Dr. Respicio:

• Small pies. 2011 could be the Year of the To-Die-For Pie. Next year, pies are hot, hot, hot, but making big waves are the smaller pies — in both sweet and savory varieties. 

• Sausage. Leaner, better-quality sausage is the new bacon. Home butchery and the charcuterie trend (or the craft of curing, smoking, and salting) have fueled renewed interest in cured meats. Longing for your favorite longganisa? This time, you can have it without the forbidden nitrites and only with a hint of sea salt, sugar, and vinegar.

• Nutmeg. ’Tis the season for this spice to get sprinkled in holiday goodies more than any other. Researchers have also discovered that nutmeg is an aphrodisiac — especially for women. Or with its hallucinogenic side effect, one could get a nutmeg high — not a new fad as back in the 1800s, prison inmates were already sniffing nutmeg.

• Gourmet ice pops. Now, this is cool: ice pops in exotic flavors like bacon, mango chile, and peanut butter? In Mexico, they’re known as paletas. Watch for these cool treats to go mainstream north of the border in 2011.

• Grits. True, grits could become the new grain. This old southern favorite could be moving beyond the breakfast menu and above the Mason-Dixon Line.

• Sweet potatoes. Expect these super-nutritious tubers to be red-hot in 2011. They may as well be the alternative, better-for-you french fry. Of course, in the Philippines, we know this best as our kamote fries have been around for decades now.

• Fin fish. We’ve been fed with so much information about the benefits of fish. Not too long ago, we discovered fish’s healthy omega 3, and the best way to get it is directly from food. A friendly warning though about farmed fish: It could have been fed with too much omega 6-laden concoctions. 

• Cupuaçu fruit. This could be the next super fruit, following in the footsteps of the acai fruit. Both are from the Brazilian rainforest. Cupuaçu contains a number of antioxidants and minerals, and experts say it’s a natural source of energy.

• Beans. This lowly legume will reign supreme in 2011, as a great source of protein and a versatile ingredient in appetizers like white bean & rosemary bruschetta. And, yes, it’s still awesome in chili. Who can compete with our abundant supply of mongo? Three cups cooked mongo or black-eye beans is equivalent to our daily protein need which is a fist-size meat. But beans are not complete proteins so add an egg to your meal to transform vegetable proteins to powerful muscles.

More food for thought from The Food Network as it spills the top 10 food trends for 2011 with notes from Doc Respicio:

1. The canning comeback. Food preservation will experience a reincarnation. Home canning, pickling, and preserving allow you control the amount of sodium, sugar, or spice in your food. In addition, you are assured of food safety, customization, and inexpensive but wholesome gifts especially when you have more time than money.

2. Men in aprons. A gender role reversal is heating up in the kitchen. The economic crunch has sent more men donning the apron and wielding the ladle. They’ve probably been inspired by macho chefs on TV’s cooking shows, where it’s all about culinary competition, achievement, and the sweet taste of victory.

3. Local somewhere. Support a local grower  anywhere. Politicians say that all politics is local. It’s becoming more and more evident that the same is true for food.

4. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Politicians on the local and national government levels are stepping up efforts to legislate healthier eating. These well-meaning efforts have led to calorie counts on restaurant menus, bans on trans fats, and a war on sodium. But these have also brought about a backlash. The truth is, there are things we just don’t want to know. 

5. Appetite for food apps. Food has become  the dominant, appetizing attraction of smart phones. It seems like there’s a new mobile food app popping up every time you start to feel hungry. But it’s the instant 24/7 availability of mobile grocery coupons and restaurant deals on smart phones that consumers will really grab in the coming year. 

6. Small is the new big business. As anyone  who works for a big corporation knows, the bigger your brand, the larger a target you may become. It’s all about people’s perception that “if it comes from a big building, it’s probably bad for me.” We say perception, because it’s obviously not true across the board, but this trend should be a wake-up call from consumers to food corporations.

7. Fresh every day. Rediscover the butcher,  the baker, and the cheese maker. People will be returning to the neighborhood butcher shop to pick up fresh meats and grabbing their specialty breads and pastries at the corner panaderia. The increased popularity of farmers’ markets has whetted our appetite for locally-sourced foods and one-on-one personal attention.

8. Chefs in schools. Chefs will make their appearance in school cafeterias. 2011 is the year we finally get really serious about feeding our children healthier, better-quality foods. Jamie Oliver came with TV cameras to the “unhealthiest city in America” and showed what a (delicious) difference one person can make. In 2011, thousands of chefs will be working with the schools to get better, fresher foods on the kids’ trays.

9. Discomfort foods. Eat your way out of  your comfort zone. It’s all about consciously trying new things that stretch our food vocabulary and experience. It’s about pushing yourself to try something new, even in small doses, and taking comfort in our new willingness to expand our (food) horizons.

10. Eating for sex and other things.  Looking for foods that’ll keep you young, strong, and active? Baby boomers will influence nearly everything in 2011, including food. They’ll demand foods that provide the energy and vitality to get them through the day and to stay in shape for nighttime activities, too. Ladies, care for nutmeg?

Looks like 2011 is gonna be a lip-smackingly good year.

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