The pandemic greatly affected our eating, food preparation and grocery shopping habits. Here are some of the healthy food innovations and trends expected in 2022:

1. Plants, Plants and More Plants
The plant-based movement can be attributed to the number of trending consumer priorities, including health protection, environmental stewardship, and ethically driven eating. More and more consumers are becoming concerned with where their food comes from and how it affects the environment.

2. Recycled Ingredients
Recycled food simply means new food or products created from recycled ingredients or by-products from the food manufacturing process. Products with reused components may use words like “upcycled” or “recycled” on their labels. Though made from leftover end pieces, like rinds and produce skins which are edible but typically get tossed, these may offer increased vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. These may also limit food waste.

3. Alcohol-Free Options
The isolation brought about by the pandemic has created a growing interest in health and well-being, causing a surge in both functional beverages and alcohol-free drinks. Limiting alcohol has obvious health benefits, such as decreasing the incidence of many diseases, mental health problems, and driving accidents.

4. Beverages with Benefits
The so-called “functional beverages” claim to help with everything from stress relief to gut health to immunity. These products are not intended to be meal replacements, but they can fill nutrient gaps. Still, it important for consumers to watch out how their bodies react to such beverages Best is to check with healthcare professionals to ensure the ingredients do not interfere with medications.

5. Seeded Foods
Seeds may be tiny, but they deliver big on nutrition, boasting a trio of fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats. Sunflower seeds, for example, may have heart-health benefits that reduces body mass index, LDL “bad” cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

6. TV Dinners 2.0
People who work from home and have a hard time planning and cooking meals find gourmet ready-made meals convenient. Gourmet food allows them to diversify their meals without the hassle of finding a recipe, shopping for all the ingredients and learning how to cook it properly.

7. Plant-Based Omega-3s
A study published in the Journal of American Heart Association showed that people with a high risk of heart attack who supplemented a high-fish diet with ALA omega-3s — in particular, from walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts — had a significantly reduced risk of death.

8. Globally Inspired Foods
With global travel greatly reduced by the pandemic, consumers are compensating by exploring and enjoying global flavors and dishes at home. The popularity of Korean shows and K-pop, for example, have helped fuel increased interest in Korean foods such as japchae and gochujang.

9. Oats as the New "Dairy"
Oat-based dairy is trending, as it avoids nut allergy concerns. Oats also provide both soluble and insoluble fiber, which are important for health and gut microbiota, and micronutrients like manganese and iron.

10. Lower-Sugar Foods
As people are getting conscious about added sugars and how a sugary diet can increase the risk of illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, they are now seeking products that are using less or no added sugar. It helps that many products have either been reformulated or introduced with less or no added sugar.