2021 Trend Predictions Part 1: Staying Healthy and Well

Phil Lempert is a television and radio news reporter, newspaper columnist, author, consumerologist, and food marketing expert. For more than 25 years, Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products, and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies worldwide. Known as The Supermarket Guru®, Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions.

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Over the next few video reports, we will be sharing some of our insights and trend projections for 2021

Today, its all about Staying Healthy & Well

One sector of the food business that experienced a huge benefit from the pandemic are comfort foods; which has been a boon for those iconic food brands that have seen their sales decline over the past few years as shoppers shifted to smaller upstart brands that had more innovate recipes, more exciting flavors, healthier profiles with more sustainable and simple ingredients. People gravitated to the brands they knew, that they grew up with, those that their families bought for generations.

The question is whether these brands will take advantage of this surge in sales, and new found hipness and awareness especially from the baby boomers who grew up on these foods to later leave them as their awareness of ingredients and health concerns grew closer as they aged - and reformulate and reimagine their products to be healthier – and save their brands from oblivion.

Of course we expect to see more plant based and plant forward foods.

We will also see a move to more wholesome carbs from whole grains, ancient grains. Much more attention given to foods that contain Vitamin C and supplements to boost immunity. More blended foods – both made at home and bought ready made in sores building on the success of the Mushroom Council and James Beard Foundation’s blended burger success which is already being extended to other proteins and other vegetables. Think flexitarians versus vegans. It’s not about extremes – it will be about balance.

Our shelves will be overrun with new innovations that are designed to meet the needs of the pandemic shopper. Higher anxiety led to new products like PepsiCo’s new drink called Driftwell that is meant to help consumers relax and unwind before bed. The enhanced water drink contains 200 miligrams of L-theanine and 10% of the daily value of magnesium. This from a brand that was built on caffeine and sugar.

Consumers aren’t just eating at home more but they’re also managing their health at home. Early research published in Nutrition & Dietetics in late June showed that telehealth in Australia keeps patients compliant with care regimens to improve health outcomes. A web-based study in seven European countries found that diet quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index 2010, improved across the 3-month trial and was maintained for an additional 6 months – due to telemedicine.

Here in the US, Kroger Health launched a telenutrition service that’s free, as long as the pandemic lasts, to help customers navigate the new normal.

It offers: Unlimited free virtual consultations with a registered dietitian via video chat, using the code COVID Personalized support and plans for individuals and families Management of food-related health issues.

Technology, food technology has come a long way. No, I’m not talking about the foods that are being created through Silicon Valley tech – I’m talking about the information and education that we can offer shoppers through technology.

Consumers at home have discovered new habits and insights about just what it means to truly nourish themselves.