Food trends are something I became more aware of as I developed in my field of food science & nutrition. It can range from styles of cooking, types of cuisine or new innovative foods that are just hitting the market. I thought I would take my own spin on the idea and create my own food trends that are relevant to my passion for food.
Your Meal, But Make it Salad Form
One thing I’ve discovered is salads can be so customizable. Sure, there’s a classic dinner salad, the Caesar salad and a Cobb salad but the possibilities are endless. A popular one that we have been implementing a couple of times a month in our household is build your own taco salad. I like to make mine colorful which in turn, makes it flavorful as well. I typically add diced red peppers, black olives, diced onion, corn, a blend of cheeses, taco meat and tortilla strips for some crunch. This combo is usually how I would make a taco bowl if I didn’t want to make a salad but ever since we did taco salad nights it’s so much more of a filling dinner. With the talk of salads, a trend I really want to hop on is the “sub in a tub.” This has been a viral TikTok trend amongst foodies who use their food chopper bin and literally dice all the ingredients that they would use to create a sub sandwich but make it into a chopped salad form. I am into this; I think it creates variety and you can create a different one every day to your liking.
Life is Short, Have the Dessert
Something I grapple with is feeling guilty for having dessert. Whether it’s ice cream, a cookie, or a piece of pie I am always questioning why my body wants this and why did I give in? The truth is having a dessert no matter what it is, is normal. Something I learned, making dessert part of the meal rather than after. One dessert I have on my radar is chocolate raspberry bites. All it takes is to mash your berries and mix Greek yogurt with them, portion into scoops and place in the freezer until hardened and finish it off by placing the frozen raspberry bites into melted chocolate and freeze again. This is something I can see myself having without feeling the guilt. I can also see myself trying this with other fruits like strawberries.
Setup for Success
Meal prepping has been something that has grown on me. I used to dread Sundays making meals, getting them put together and having everything ready for the week. The problem? It’s time-consuming. Yes and no. When I look at this, the benefits show. I feel ready for the week and it’s a matter of putting what I need into my lunch box and I’m ready. What helps is making something new each week whether it’s a cold or hot recipe, create a variety so you’re not bored with having the same sad lunch.
Appetizers as the Main Course
I consider myself an appetizer queen. Appetizers are the best purely because they are shareable and what many may not know is that they can make the perfect small meal. My favorite appetizer lately has been sliders. The perfect mini burger or sandwich that satisfies. I love taking a package of dinner rolls (preferably Hawaiian rolls) and making cheeseburger sliders. We put our favorite toppings and it creates the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Cheeseburger is not the only form though. These can be traditional sandwich sliders, or even a creative twist with making chicken parmesan. Recipes like these can be interchangeable.
Food trends are ever-evolving. I always love to see what is popular whether it’s determined by food companies or just everyday individuals through the use of social media. Food has the power to give foodies like us the ability to be creative and try new things with our recipes as well as cooking and preparation techniques. Explore food trends and see what may speak to you!