Bloom

If last year’s pandemic and forced work-at-home time taught us anything it’s that many of us turned to food as a way of coping and for comfort. Not just for sustenance, but also as a creative outlet (think of all the people who learned to make bread and sourdough starter). There was an increase in sales for pots and pans, cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and tools. Some of those trends continued into 2021 and some will continue into 2022 and beyond. Though no one has a crystal ball and can truly predict what will appear as a trend for 2022, it is still interesting to look back at the food and health trends of 2021 and to look ahead at what 2022 may have in store.

In 2021, along with an increase in baking, people turned to cooking from scratch and meals made from pantry staples. This was due, in part, to save money and because many restaurants were still closed due to the pandemic limiting the number and availability of places to dine.

Cooking focused on mental as well as physical health, specifically the need for nutrients. Nutrients such as vitamin D and B vitamins encourage mental and emotional health and may help fight depression. Vitamin D, sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, is found in fortified milk, fortified cereal, fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, egg yolks and some organ meats. Vitamin C is found in most citrus foods, strawberries and broccoli and leafy green vegetables. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps support a healthy immune system. Iron and B vitamins are all found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes and nuts. And cooking was therapeutic. It relieved stress and was creative.

People also turned to comfort foods. Although comfort foods have always been a way of life for most of us, they became even more important as the pandemic turned everyone’s world upside down. Foods such as macaroni and cheese, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and meatloaf with mashed potatoes somehow tasted better than ever before.

With time to spend in the kitchen, people began experimenting. They experimented with different herbs and spices in cooking along with different types of mushrooms, oils such as pumpkin seed and avocado and sugar alternatives like maple and coconut. People were also trying different milk alternatives such as oat, coconut, almond and hemp.

Home preservation increased in popularity and there was a shortage in home canning supplies such as jars and lids. The home preservationist moved beyond canning, trying fermentation and canning quantities of sauerkraut, pickles and kimchi (a type of Korean fermented cabbage), along with drying fruits, vegetables and herbs for later use.

Businesses were closed, but local support of farms and local farmers’ markets increased, and money was put back into communities.

As 2021 draws to a close and 2022 begins, some of the health trends that began in 2021 will continue into the new year.

The frozen food market, which held steady, is continuing to increase for several reasons, among them convenience and budget. Improvements have been made in processing and frozen foods can taste on par with their fresh counterparts. Also, frozen foods are quickly processed. Since they do not have to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles like some of their fresher counterparts, the nutrients of frozen fruits and vegetables are more intact. In terms of nutrition, it is important to remember that all forms of fruits and vegetables — fresh, frozen, dried, canned or 100% juice — are all nutritious and are part of a healthy diet.

Companies will continue to try different milk alternatives going into 2022, using grains like barley. These milks are a good option for people with lactose intolerance since they are more easily digested. However, unless fortified, they lack the calcium and other nutrients of regular dairy milk.

Nutrients, no matter what year it is, will continue to be important for general good health. Nutrients for mental, physical, emotional and gut health will never go out of style. A balanced diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins (meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, legumes and plant-based protein) and whole grains along with healthy fats provide the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain one’s health.

And as far as the baked bread and comfort foods go? Yes, they’ll still be popular in 2022.

Happy New Year!