LOS ALAMITOS, CA - When it comes to which foods will be trending in 2016, it looks like all signs are pointing to the produce department. According to Frieda’s Specialty Produce, consumers can look forward to a great vegetable revolution this year. Check out the company’s list below for four trending categories that retailers can push for 2016!
1) Clean Eating Movement
Say goodbye to processed foods and artificial ingredients this year. Shoppers are welcoming more fresh foods into their diets then ever before. Frieda’s suggests one way retailers can take advantage of this trend and keep shoppers coming back for more is to consistently stock produce departments with a variety of nutrient-dense vegetables. A few products could include Sunchokes® and Stokes Purple™ Sweet Potatoes, as well as flavor boosters like ginger, fresh chile peppers, and various onions.
2) Veg-centric
It’s finally the year to start putting produce at the center of the plate, it seems. With the Meatless Monday movement continuing to gain popularity and vegetable spiralizers flying off the shelf, Frieda’s has noticed that vegetables are gaining ground as the star players in restaurants, as well as at home. The company says that colored carrot and zucchini ribbons are nudging out actual pasta, and roasted root vegetables like celery root and colorful beet varieties are taking over more plate space at dinner time.
3) Turmeric
Did you know there was already a “Spice of the Year “named for 2016? The recent Baum+Whiteman report named this year’s spice turmeric. Used to flavor food and to give a health boost in fresh juices and more, this yellow root has been gaining popularity in recent years with the clean-eating set as an immunity booster.
4) Flavorful Heat
Home food preservation continues to be a trend that millennial shoppers are putting their support behind, including homemade hot and chile sauces. While Ghost and Trinidad Scorpion Peppers remain popular, foodies are, Frieda’s says, “burned out” on pure heat and are seeking a pepper that provides more flavor than punch. Peppers like Habanero, Serrano, and Poblano, along with Hatch Peppers from New Mexico are providing the tastes that are bringing consumers back for more.
To learn more about Frieda’s food trend picks for 2016, interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors can check out www.friedas.com, and see other trending products, as well as gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.
