As Food Futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye explores how the future of food leans towards a more back to basics way of living, almonds can help product developers respond to this shift as a responsibly grown, versatile, plant-based food with nearly thirty years of supporting nutritional research
According to a new report from Food Futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye, consumers want to simplify their lives. The pandemic drove a shift towards an increased desire to connect with nature and this, combined with the realisation that we can live with less – many of us having been confined to one space during lockdown – means consumers are looking to go back to basics and a purer, more natural life. She comments: “We have a continued desire to connect with nature. Eating more natural foods and creating new foods and beverages from age-old ingredients, will play into the current trend for craft, small batch and low-fi living, and colourings and dyes for both food and fabrics are increasingly natural and plant derived… We are focused on getting back to basics. It’s not just a goal, it’s the way of the world.”
California almonds play into this trend as a natural and naturally functional food. With 14 different forms, as well as their strong nutritional profile, almonds are ideal for those responding to these emerging consumer demands for a simpler life.
Essentialism
Increased simplicity is one way consumers are going back to basics, looking to discard unknown, processed foods in favour of those that are natural and considered to be essential store cupboard staples.
Gaye reports that heritage foods are well placed to address this need for the essential as “we find basic staples and age-old ingredients give us a sense of surety and stability, something we’ve very much needed in the recent years.”
She highlights that we are already seeing these demands come to life: “Both food and packaging are changing and responding to this trend with simplified functionality. We are seeking out multi-use packaging, foods which work for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 3 ingredient recipes. We are increasingly drawn to foods with less ingredients and less processing.”
Dariela Roffe-Rackind, Director Europe & Global Public Relations at the Almond Board of California, highlights that almonds are well-placed to respond to this demand: “Almonds’ natural, plant-based and shelf-stable credentials make them suitable for getting back to basics. With 14 different forms, including whole, sliced, slivered, milk, butter, flour, ground, and oil, developers have the flexibility to incorporate them in different forms in the most suitable way, meaning they can use less ingredients which require less processing.”
Less-but-Better
This desire for simplicity also plays out in increasingly minimalised lifestyles, stripped of non-essentials.
One way consumers can minimise what they accumulate is by using food to sustain their health. Multi-functional products that allow consumers to streamline their lives are key. According to Gaye, “natural and minimally processed foods are the best things we can put into and onto our body. The gut-brain connection is becoming much more prevalent, and consumers are seeking out food they can relate to, with simple, store-cupboard ingredients listed on labels.”
Roffe-Rackind adds: “Almonds can also support manufacturers if it’s functional demand they are responding to. With a strong nutritional profile, almonds are one of the most researched foods with more than 200 published studies showing their benefits to heart health, diabetes management, weight management and skin health concerns to name a few, meaning that almonds can lend a health halo to products that can help consumers live a simple lifestyle whilst ensuring they get the nutrients they need to stay healthy.”
The Power of Simplicity
Gaye also suggests that “the underlying impulse for less is partly to do with wanting more freedom and less restriction,” suggesting that “our aspiration is moving from a time of ‘having’ things and accumulat[ing] stuff, to wanting to be free of decision fatigue.” She concludes: “simplicity which highlights less-but-better, can be seen in all elements of our lives going forward.”
As less complicated lives become a priority, almonds are one of the few natural ingredients that meet the diverse needs of product developers, says Roffe-Rackind. “As consumer needs continue to evolve post-pandemic with simplicity at the fore, manufacturers can feel confident that almonds’ appealing taste and texture can be leveraged across categories with multiple benefits to help them cater to their needs. It will certainly be exciting to see how these trends come to life in NPD,” she concludes.
For food manufacturers, looking towards the future of food when innovating is imperative to ensure success. As consumers move back to basics, natural, nutritious ingredients like almonds are useful to consider when looking to add value to product development.
Innovations in Food (& Beverage) Technology is a quarterly magazine distributed globally both in Print and Digital formats. www.innovationsfood.com. Twitter: @Innovfoodtech. Instagram: @innovationsinfoodtechnology. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-prior52
