Leading dietitians have shared the food trends set to make it big in 2023, including dates in everything, ‘pasta 2.0’ and medicinal mushrooms.
Susie Burrell, from Sydney, and Leanne Ward, from Brisbane, agreed that nothing will be bigger than tinned food in the next 12 months, with a ‘tin fish revolution’ set to dominate 2023.
‘With fresh food costing so much and particularly protein per kilo, if you look at the price of tinned fish, things like sardines, herring and mackerel, it’s a no brainer that they’re going to be big,’ Susie said on the podcast The Nutrition Couch.
Leading dietitians Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward (both pictured) have shared the food trends set to make it big in 2023
The pair agreed that there is going to be a ‘tinned fish revolution’ as the cost of living skyrockets and people want to eat healthily but on a reasonable budget (pictured)
1. Tinned fish revolution
The first trend set to make waves in 2023 is the rise of tinned fish.
The dietitians both agreed that foods like sardines, herring, tuna and mackerel are a budget-friendly way to get plenty of Omega 3s without having to fork out for expensive fish like salmon and barramundi.
‘I have a feeling that like the way butter boards swept the food scene this year, tin fish boards are going to be big for 2023 with different-flavoured fish,’ Susie said.
This is evident from the fact that there are already countless different flavours of tuna on sale at the supermarket.
‘In Scandinavia, they already eat lots of tinned fish because it’s so healthy and good for you,’ Susie said.
‘If you like it, it’s very cost effective to add tuna, sardines or mackerel to your meals.’
The hashtag ‘Tin fish date night’ has been trending on TikTok in recent months, with home chefs using tinned sardines, oysters, or mussels as a hero ingredient in their meals.
According to a Canstar survey of 1,700 people this year, Aldi’s tinned fish came out to be Australia’s most popular based on taste, texture and consistency, range variety, packaging appeal, value for money and overall satisfaction.
The second food trend set to hit the mainstream is the trend for ‘medicinal mushrooms’ or adaptogens, which can be found in some coffees (pictured)
2. Medicinal mushrooms
The second food trend set to hit the mainstream is the trend for ‘medicinal mushrooms’ or adaptogens.
Adaptogens are plants and mushrooms that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue and overall wellbeing.
‘I remember going to LA a few years ago and ordering a coffee and they asked me which “shrooms” I wanted in my drink, but the whole thing for medicinal mushrooms hasn’t really exploded here in Australia yet,’ Leanne said.
‘I think 2023 is going to be when medicinal mushrooms become a part of the mainstream.’
Susie said boosting your dietary intake with adaptogens can help your physical performance, and she expects athletes in particular to add adaptogens to their coffee over the next 12 months.
Pasta made from chickpeas, lentils and pulses are taking permanent residence in many pantries these days, but there will be even more unusual varieties in 2023 (pictured)
3. Pasta 2.0
Pasta made from chickpeas, lentils and pulses are taking permanent residence in many pantries these days.
And many predict 2023 will see even more alternative pastas hit the supermarkets and our plates.
‘Zucchini pasta, sweet potato pasta, spaghetti squash, all of these low-carb plant-based pastas are going to be a big trend in 2023,’ Leanne said.
The principal reason is that we are all more health-conscious now, and are looking for healthy and delicious ways to boost our fruit and veg intake.
Some of the more unusual pastas you might see include those made from hearts of palm and green bananas.
‘Dates are making a comeback as a buzz superfood,’ Susie said (dates pictured), with many choosing to use them in baking because they are so rich in antioxidants
4. Dates
‘Dates are making a comeback as a buzz superfood,’ Susie said.
‘We’re going to see people use them particularly in baking as a substitute for sugar instead of regular sugar, whether it’s via date paste or date sugar.’
Dates are an ancient Middle Eastern fruit that date back to the 18th century, and they are popular in health food circles because they are rich in antioxidants.
Many proponents of dates claim they help them with both their gut health and their overall bone health.
Plant-based as a trend will go nowhere in the next 12 months, the dietitians agreed, with plant-based dairy products and meat alternatives only set to get bigger and bigger (pictured)
5. Plant-based everything
Plant-based as a trend will go nowhere in the next 12 months, the dietitians agreed, with plant-based dairy products and meat alternatives only set to get bigger and bigger.
‘Plant-based baking is also huge, with more products set to launch,’ Leanne said.
Look out for plant-based bowls from the popular range Impossible Foods, which have been designed to convert even the most dedicated of meat eaters.
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