New year, new you, right?
Millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions every January. Yet very few actually stick to those goals. In fact, as many as 80% of resolutions fail, and plenty of people don’t even make it a month before giving up. Lots of resolutions center on getting healthier, particularly when it comes to diet. Sticking with those resolutions to eat better, lose weight and improve overall health means getting proactive about getting healthy.
When it comes to smarter food choices, flavor powders are playing an increasingly important role.
New products and applications are helping consumers stick to their resolutions and develop healthier habits. Here’s a closer look at some popular New Year’s resolutions and ways food manufacturers are using flavor powders to help consumers accomplish their health goals in 2021.
Shedding a few pounds is high on the list of the most popular resolutions, and consumers tackle the task in many different ways. One consistently popular tactic is nutritious shakes and smoothies. Smoothies are a go-to diet staple for countless celebrities and influencers, and there are countless recipe variations online.
Click here for a mango smoothie recipe featuring Bluegrass Ingredients’ mango powder.
Smoothies are often used as meal replacements for people looking to lose weight, which puts a significant focus on high-quality, nutritious ingredients that leave consumers feeling full for longer. Nutrient-dense powders are a popular addition — an ingredient of choice for food manufacturers selling pre-packaged smoothies as well as at-home consumers. Mango powder, yogurt and other dairy powders, as well as nondairy powder alternatives are all key ingredients in many smoothies and shakes.
Beyond meal substitutes, flavor powders have become essential for manufacturers looking to tightly control ingredients and nutritional content. They allow manufacturers to capture essential in-demand flavors and achieve indulgent textures with minimal increases to sugar and fat content. They can provide additional protein or add vitamins and minerals to products that help consumers stick to their goal of slimming down in the new year.
Plenty of people resolve to “eat better” at the start of the new year. What that means exactly varies from person to person, but it typically revolves around making more conscious food choices that result in a healthier person – and a healthier planet. For many, that means a commitment to eating less meat and dairy. In the past, individuals who made a commitment to avoid meat and dairy products often become strict vegetarians and vegans, omitting those products from their diet entirely.
As more plant-based options have become available, we’ve seen the rise of “flexitarians.” What is a flexitarian? Flexitarians are consumers who want to eat less meat and dairy without committing to eliminating them all together, i.e. a more flexible, healthier diet. In fact, nearly two in three U.S. consumers say they’re willing to reduce meat consumption due to environmental concerns. This trend is reflected in the rise of nondairy alternatives as well, where plant-based cheese, yogurt, sour cream and other substitutes continue to gain ground on traditional dairy in key categories. Food powders are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in consumers’ shift to plant-based and nondairy alternatives, particularly in products where dairy is a secondary ingredient, like sour cream & onion chips.
In addition to reducing or eliminating meat and dairy from their diets, better eating habits can also mean fewer preservatives, additives and genetically modified ingredients. Case in point — the clean label ingredients market was valued at $38.8 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $64.1 billion by 2026. Food powders have proven to play a vital role in this fast-growing market by delivering key ingredients, tastes and textures with the clean label to match.
There are few things more satisfying than a really good meal at a great restaurant. Yet there’s no doubt dining out can be expensive and far less healthy than cooking at home. Whether they’re looking to spend less, drink less alcohol or simply get better control over what they eat, many people resolve to cook more at home. With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting in-person dining around the country, plenty of people are shifting their resolution this year to include cutting back on expensive and high-calorie take-out and delivery options. More than half of consumers say they’re eating at home more often as a result of COVID-19.
This is another area where flavor powders are playing an increasingly pivotal role. Powders offer an additional range of applications that allow manufacturers to capture restaurant-quality tastes and textures in ready-made meals or frozen options. These prepared dishes benefit from superior flavor and consistency thanks to powders including:
While most resolutions probably won’t last through all of 2021, many of the trends behind them will continue to shape the industry for the year to come and beyond. Healthy foods with tightly controlled ingredients that can be enjoyed at home will remain a priority for consumers, driven by the pandemic and other factors. Bluegrass Ingredients has developed its entire Agile Ingredient Innovation model around anticipating these trends and collaborating with food manufactures to create the flavors and applications consumers crave.
Bluegrass offers manufacturers off-the-shelf flavor powder solutions with advanced product development capabilities, including custom formulations, rapid prototyping, flavor matching and advanced product testing in our state-of-the-art test kitchen. Whether it’s the next hit smoothie flavor or just the right ratio of shortening powder to create the perfect flaky crust for a Thanksgiving pie, there are endless products out there just waiting to be imagined and improved upon. Each new partnership, and each new product, is an opportunity to collaborate and deliver a new in-demand flavor or application for consumers.
