Trends for your tastebuds

PULSES are a low-fat source of protein. | TIJANA DRNDARSKI Unsplash

Viwe Ndoneni-Ntlebi and IANS

A year of lockdown has seen us making changes to our eating and cooking habits, and experts say the habits formed in 2020 are continuing in 2021

THERE’S a growing appreciation for ingredients such as ghee. | MEGUMI NACHEV Unsplash

ARGUABLY 2020 saw the biggest shift in food trends; not only were families forced to cook more and together at home, but many turned to cultivating vegetable gardens for fresh produce.

Experimentation in the home kitchen also thrived. As most people had more time, cooking became a family affair and was more enjoyable. Some products were harder to access, so we had to be inventive. There was less waste and we became more conscious of what we were eating.

But, going forward in 2021, celebrity chef Sarah Todd believes we will see an increase in plantbased food and sustainable eating.

“There has been a paradigm shift in eating habits. The last 12 months have instilled a new mindset that will continue in 2021. We will think before we spend, meaning home cooking will continue. Farmers’ approach to marketing has matured and customers are now more aware of what is available,” she told IANSlife.

Globally, we’ve seen the phenomenal rise of more plantbased eating amongst the privileged who can easily afford a high consumption of meat, a status symbol in our social hierarchy for millennia.

South African Registered Dietitian, Kelly Scholtz says: “An affordable diet in the average SA household is already very much plant-based, with small amounts of meat, chicken or fish used when possible, with beans, peas, lentils and foods like milk and eggs providing alternative and good sources of protein.

“In those households with more access to expensive foods, there is also likely to be more aware of diet and nutrition trends. It is already clear that restaurants and retailers in South Africa are stocking more meat alternatives and vegetarian and vegan products in support of this trend, which suggests that there is more demand for plant- based options from consumers.”

While many may argue that this trend will pass, Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) spokesperson, Cath Day, says eating fruits and vegetables will never go out of style. “In my view, every vegetable and fruit is a rock star as they all promote eating fresh and unprocessed food. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and fibre; making them a nutritionally dense food option. Therefore the message, ‘eat your fruits and vegetables, will never go out of style in the nutrition world.

“The new rock stars on the block, in my opinion, especially from a sustainability point of view, are the pulses. Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. Pulses grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and include dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cowpeas, pigeon peas and lentils.

“Pulses promote the health of the planet too as growing pulses promote sustainable agriculture. Pulse crops help decrease greenhouse gases, increase soil health and use less water than other crops. Additionally, pulses are a low-fat source of protein with high levels of protein and fibre. Pulses also contain important vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and folate. Therefore, not only are they great for the earth, but they are also great for your health.”

Speaking to IANSlife, Chef Vineet Manocha, Vice President Culinary, Lite Bite Foods, feels the year 2020 brought dramatic changes in eating and living habits, with “local being the new sustainable”, more and more use of local resources, produce, ingredients and equipment, and a focus on seasonal produce.

Here are some of Manocha’s food trend predictions:

Healthy all the way

Health food is totally in and immunity-boosting foods are trending. The focus will be on choosing the ingredients carefully and eating well in the age of dieting. Wholesome and nutritious food which is well balanced as per the principles of Ayurveda will be planned. Food also affects your mental health and in this age of pandemic anxiety, it’s very important that we eat calming nutritional food.

Heirloom and ancient ingredients

There will be a lot of experimentation on heirloom varieties like ragi, barley, millets, teff and spelt. More and more focus will be on lost ingredients and lost recipes. Home chefs are bringing in a lot of traction on ancient recipes. It’s not difficult in India to move back to sustainable heirloom ingredients as we just have to look back two generations.

There is a lot of focus on reviving the old cooking methods, cookware, techniques and recipes. There is a growing appreciation for ghee and cold-pressed seed oils which were used by the ancestors.