Consumers Increasingly Taking Time To Appreciate Food

Newton's law of motion which states that 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction' certainly seems at times to be relevant to areas other than science. Take consumer attitudes to food for example: On the one hand, we have the constant search for convenience, with consumers constantly eating 'on the go' and looking for manufacturers to present them with food solutions that help minimise food preparation time (See our Fluid Lives trend for more on this). Yet on the other hand, we are observing somewhat of a return to scratch-cooking, to home baking and even perhaps growing ingredients ourselves.

While it may not be an entirely 'equal' reaction, it is certainly an undeniable trend of late. A renewed appreciation of provenance and traditional production (and preparation) methods has clearly strengthened in the recession, with people trying to stretch their budgets to ensure that they can enjoy the simple pleasures in life and looking more than ever to keep it real.

Linked to these trends, and certainly also to the ever-growing quest for health and wellness, is the concept of 'mindful eating'. Long adhered to by Buddhists, this is a concept which the Western world is paying more attention to lately, regarding it as a way to truly embrace a healthier way of life, one whereby we develop more of a relationship with our food, seeing it as far more than just fuel and appreciating it more.

Mindful eating is all about savouring and enjoying food. Noticing the food we eat more: the textures, the flavours, the aromas; thinking perhaps about its journey to our plate–where it came from, how it was produced and so on. Eating in a mindful way means focussing all of our attention on the food and taking time to appreciate it, with no distractions such as television or Internet.

Of course, this is a way of eating food rather than a 'food trend' as such, and so may seem to be of limited relevance to food manufacturers. But those involved in food production can tap into this growing consumer mindset by dialling up simple, natural cues, perhaps minimising the number of ingredients in products and highlighting this simplicity.

Source: BordBia  - Consumers Increasingly Taking Time To Appreciate Food