2020 Prepared Meal Trends: How to Make The Most of Them
For many people, prepared meals are both a staple and an opportunity to try new ingredients, flavors, and dishes. Restaurants and other food businesses can take advantage of this trend by offering a variety of cuisines and comfort foods to satisfy even the most adventurous consumer.
One thing that’s important in dynamic food flavors is imparting a sense of the intense: compelling physical and sensory experiences that give your products deeper meaning. Think big, bold flavors and sensational combinations such as tequila-lime chicken, a time-tested favorite that’s always exciting.
Diverse world flavors are sought-after this year, including less-familiar cuisines from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Moroccan-inspired bulgur, chickpeas, and lemon flavors as well as West African black beans, sweet potatoes, and kale are current favorites, as are tastes of Asia such as pork, vegetables, and vermicelli noodles.
There’s a growing demand for protein and high-protein meals. This demand is likely in response to the growing awareness of the health benefits of eating plenty of protein, including building lean muscle and improving fat burning. Companies are meeting the high-protein demand via products such as high-protein halloumi, high-protein pasta, seafood dishes, and pea protein.
More than ever, consumers want their food to be healthy. The sharp increase in vegan lifestyles presents significant opportunities for companies who offer prepared meals. It’s essential to accommodate those who prefer a vegan or flexitarian diet, such as by switching out the meat in traditional recipes with vegetables or legumes. At the same time, consumers want environmentally-friendly solutions such as plastic-free packaging. Plant-based and biodegradable packaging more popular than ever.
For many folks, ready meals are an easy gateway to trying new foods because of their affordability and low risk factor. Brands are innovating with new and interesting ingredients and flavors while adding nutritional components to drive interest further. Clean, natural ingredients in unexpected combinations are the name of the game for this year’s most successful prepared food products.
Our range of natural flavor ingredients can help you to create new and innovative products no matter what kinds of flavors you want to harness.