Would you like some cricket powder with your smoothie? Might sound a little odd, but don’t be surprised if insect protein starts to show up in more products this year. Each year, a number of innovative brands pave the way for new trends in the natural food industry to arise. These emerging trends create new opportunities for a more sustainable and healthier food system and packaged goods world. New Hope Natural Media determined noticeable patterns among the products at the Natural Products Expo East this year that they predict will take off in 2015.
Old School Ingredients
Long known for their nutritional benefits, traditional ingredients, such as apple cider vinegar and turmeric, are making a comeback. Brands like Fire Cider put a modern spin on an ancient remedy in their apple cider vinegar based drink.
Natural Beauty
Beauty product lines are now featuring natural, edible ingredients such as coconut, acai, ancient grains, hemp and chia. So many popular cosmetics are full of chemicals, but we’re now understanding that what we’re putting on our body is just as important as the foods we put in it. Buff Her House of Exfoliation offers nutrient-rich, organic food facial scrubs to uncover natural, glowing skin.
Paleo Party
The paleo trend continues to grow as people choose to eat simply as their ancient ancestors once did. A new paleo certification allows paleo dieters to easily find more packaged foods with whole food ingredients.
Probiotic Power
Yogurt isn’t the only way to easily consume probiotics. Probiotics are popping up in new ways, such as chocolate and fresh juices.
Simple Ingredients
Many packaged food wrappers contain long lists of unknown ingredients. Look out for more clean and simple ingredients that are actually pronounceable.
Locally Sourced
Shopping at the farmer’s market isn’t the only way to tell where food came from. Brands like Quinn Popcorn allow you to go online and type in the batch number from your product to determine where the ingredients of that specific batch came from.
Coconut Craze
Coconut is not a new trend to the health food industry, but it’s being introduced in new innovative ways that replace unhealthy foods, like coconut wraps instead of tortillas. With so many health benefits of coconut, it’s even being used in beauty products.
Vegan for the Non-Vegan
Many vegan food companies aim to target more of a mainstream audience by emphasizing on the quality ingredients their products do have instead of focusing on what they don’t. Check out delicious vegan dips and spreads from Hope Foods.
Philanthropic Causes
What could be better than buying healthy organic products while supporting a philanthropic mission at the same time? Companies like Sunshine Nut Co. aim to create a positive social impact with every purchase.
More Protein
Plant and animal proteins are popping up everywhere in food, beverages and supplements. Exo features cricket flour protein bars. If you think that’s gross, read about all the health and sustainability benefits provided on their site! You might rethink eating insects. Look out for these trends throughout this New Year and don’t be afraid to try something new.
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Hi Maiken, Thank you for the inclusion of Sunshine Nut Company cashews in the 10 Emerging Trends list. We are working hard to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned here in Mozambique. We aim to make the freshest, tastiest, appropriately priced cashews in the world – all to do good. Maybe some day you will come and visit us here and see the lives that are being improved as we sell our product in the world’s finest stores. Take care, Don Larson – CEO and Founder
Peculiar article, just what I needed.