What will wellness-minded consumers be looking for in 2023? Natural Grocers has some ideas. – Grocery Dive

With just a few weeks left in 2022, grocers are sharing what kinds of products they expect will gain popularity with customers in the New Year.  

Organic Grocers is the latest to announce its trend predictions for 2023, unveiling on Thursday its seventh annual list of 12 trends evenly divided across four categories: health and wellness, body care and beauty, “ecologically thoughtful, ” and food plus beverage.   For each of the styles, Natural Grocers provides suggested products or recipes.  

Among its predictions, the particular grocer expects to see more interest in:

• The sober curious movement
• Simplified snacking
• “Healthy-ish” comfort foods 
• “Purposeful” packaging consumers can recycle or compost
• Zero-waste cooking
• Gut health and digestive comfort and ease

Consumer perceptions about healthy habits, not surprisingly, factored into the developments.   Natural Grocers is predicting that more consumers are wanting to develop healthier habits with alcohol, from taking breaks from alcohol to choosing alcohol-free libations.

Natural Corner shop also noted that digestive comfort and gut health were the most requested topics this year for one-on-one coaching sessions with the particular company’s nutritional health coaches. The grocer expects customers to turn in order to more foods with prebiotic fibers,   probiotic plus digestive enzyme supplementation,   and stress management to improve their gut health.  

Natural Grocers also desires consumers will embrace “real food” regarding snacks after being recently bombarded   with functional foods that will contain herbs, vitamins or even other supplement-style nutrients.   The grocer says jerky, trail mixes, nuts and seeds are already gaining momentum.  

“Amidst all the functional food items hubbub, inside 2023 consumers are opting for the simpler choice by going back to real food, ” the grocer says on its website . “Let’s let supplements be dietary supplements and food be meals. ”

Healthier versions of comfort foods also made the tendencies list as consumers aim to eat slightly better options of their favorite indulgences, the grocer said.  

Zero-waste cooking food refers in order to reducing the particular use associated with unnecessary ingredients, making smaller portions to avoid throwing out leftovers and repurposing or composting food scraps, the grocer said, noting that it can also help consumers save money plus ties in to desires in order to live more sustainably.  

“There will be a big push among both consumers and brands to minimize waste and make every dollar count, ” Shelby Miller, Organic Grocers’ director of scientific affairs plus nutrition education, said within the announcement.

An overarching “bonus” tendency that spans categories is the Regenivore Diet, which the grocer defined as “making food choices that support your wellness and the health of the planet. ”

The specialty grocer said its Nutrition Education team, which consists of health and fitness professionals, worked with its purchasing, marketing and analytics teams to identify the particular trends upon this year’s list, which they expanded beyond the nutrition category.  

“Though the COVID pandemic initially produced its presence known almost three years ago, the lingering effects are still impacting how we approach our health plus wellness, self-care and food preparation, ” Miller stated. “We are usually seeing customers prioritizing taking care of themselves, their families and the particular planet, while tightening budgets. ”

Normal Grocers mentioned it will promote its craze predictions on its site,   social media accounts and its Health Hotline magazine.  

In October, Whole Foods Market released its meals trend predictions for 2023 , which included a heightened focus upon animal welfare, growing recognition of products with kelp, climate consciousness and new cravings intended for childhood ease and comfort food.