New Hope Network's editorial staff, in concert with the NEXT Data & Insights team, have identified the key macro forces driving food trends in the United States. In the 2022 Guidebook we have connected these macro forces and hot trends, as well as the newest exhibitors and fresh brands to help you meet consumers' needs. Learn more about the Guidebook and purchase your copy here. (Sales begin on Feb. 11.)
So far, protein has stayed above the fray as nutritionists and consumers alternately praise and scorn fats and carbohydrates.
Consumers embrace the benefits of protein such as sport nutrition, weight loss and satiety. While meat and dairy have long been a primary source of protein, consumers now seek clean, responsible and sustainable proteins from plants and animals raised and treated humanely.
Protein Power is exemplified in these three trends:
- More Protein Please—Without a standard limit on protein consumption, shoppers seek every opportunity to replace carbohydrates and sugar with protein.
- Responsible Meat & Dairy Protein—Today's corporate-owned meat, dairy and seafood industries wreak havoc on the environment, devastate farming and rural communities and annihilate any concept of humane treatment of animals.
- Plant Protein—Innovators are finding creative ways to made food from high-protein plants such as yellow peas, chickpeas and hemp. Others develop new and better ways of using standards such as soy and seitan. Consumers seek out these clean plant proteins filled with other nutrients, as they offer more efficient calories than animal-based products do.
