As tastes evolve and the environment changes, the American diet shifts every year.
Like any year, 2023 will see a number of new food trends. The Fresh Market, a major grocery store chain based in North Carolina, has revealed its predictions for what grocery shopping will look like over the next 12 months, according to Progressive Grocer.
The predictions emphasize a focus on climate-friendly eating. The Fresh Market projects that plant-based diets and dishes will rise in popularity and demand in 2023, especially as plant-based alternatives to eggs, cheese, and bacon improve in quality.
The expansion of plant-based eating has positive implications for the environment. Cows used for dairy and meat production emit a staggering amount of methane each year. This speeds up the planet's overheating and leads to more extreme weather events that impact communities around the globe.
An increase in plant-based diets, though, can help lessen those methane gas emissions. And plant-based diets have a number of health benefits, too.
The Fresh Market also projects that grocers will continue enjoying natural and functional foods, such as botanicals like lavender and dandelion, which can have health benefits beyond their nutritional value.
Additionally, the company predicts that Americans seeking comfort food will likely further gravitate toward Mexican cuisine, so the chain anticipates a wider range of global flavors to become attractive in 2023.
And the company expects consumers to gravitate toward "climatarian eating," a diet that pays particular attention to products' environmental footprints. Climatarian practices include seeking out local and organic foods or eating soil-friendly plant-based foods.
"The parameters [of climatarian eating] are not hard and fast, so it lends itself to a level of flexibility based on the preferences of those who partake," the company said in a press release. "While this eating trend might be in its infancy, it will continue in relevance as younger generations in particular increase their concern for the planet."
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