The biggest trend is awareness

When consumers are asked about their diet, there is often a gap between aspiration and reality: many say they are willing to pay more for quality in food, but forget about it at the checkout. The nutrition network "Nutrition Hub" and the German Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE) therefore asked more than 100 experts what "actual" nutritional behavior they observe. Ten trends emerged.

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Sustainability
71% of nutrition professionals see climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition as the most important development of this decade. This is shown above all by the increasing number of scientific papers and research projects, that consumers value aspects such as regionality and sustainability more highly than health, and that a rethink is also taking place in communal catering.

Plant-based food
Every second expert (49%) observes that the demand for plant-based food is growing strongly. Vegetarian and vegan recipes are gaining popularity, and the sustainability of ingredients and cooking techniques is being scrutinized more closely.

Digitization
Three out of ten nutrition professionals report that Corona has made many people more open-minded about digital solutions, and they are eager to embrace digital offerings in nutritional prevention and therapy counseling. These include apps that track nutritional profiles or help people with their new dietary behaviors.

Awareness
Many consumers today want to eat healthier in order to be fitter and more efficient in everyday life. They are reflecting on their lifestyle and recognizing the impact of their diet on their health. Women in particular, because men from middle age onwards find this even more difficult.

Personalization
In professional sports, customized nutrition, adapted down to the last detail to the individual conditions and needs of one's own body, has long been a reality. Now it is also becoming more and more popular across the board. These include, for example, blood glucose sensors in the arm or fluid monitoring via smart drinking bottles.

Convenience
Food "to go" is booming due to the pandemic. Even and especially in the home office, food should be delivered quickly, conveniently and without effort - and still be healthy. In the area of out-of-home catering, the combination of sustainability, health and enjoyment is becoming increasingly important.

Probiotics
Digestive problems are no longer a taboo subject. More awareness is emerging about intestinal health and the connection between psyche and nutrition. Accordingly, experts see a trend toward probiotics.

Nutrition myths
With their knowledge from the Internet and social media, many people lose sight of the essentials and fall for "fake news." Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for reputable sources that offer orientation and reliable information and help to clear the thicket of nutrition myths.

Work-food balance
The topic of nutrition is moving into the spotlight as part of workplace health promotion (WHP). Employers want to position themselves more strongly with applicants and employees by offering a healthy work-food balance.

Nutrition education
The topic of nutrition education is becoming more important, and the significance of daycare and school catering is growing. The catering concept as well as nutrition education measures would thus become central elements for the nutritional preferences of children in adulthood.