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Top 5 Organic Food Trends for 2014

As we head into 2014, I see these organic foods becoming much more popular in the marketplace.

Here are my Top 5 Organic Food Trends for 2014.

NUT AND SEED MILKS

I can’t understand why no one has capitalized on this yet, but a huge gap in the market exists for nut/seed milks and smoothies. I predict that 2014 will be the year that some smart players take advantage of this opportunity.

These are drinks that I make all of the time at home but finding an organic one at a store is very, very difficult.

An organic, non-dairy, chocolate milk made with Brazil nuts and raw cacao powder would be a massive hit. Consumers will be clamoring for products such as these and soon they’ll be on supermarket shelves.

MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS

I firmly believe that the people will increasingly be looking at food as medicine, rather than as something that merely fills a hungry stomach.

And one specific food that fits into this theme are medicinal mushrooms. Research has shown that mushrooms have anti-cancer properties, boost the immune system, and improve overall nutrition.

Medicinal mushrooms such as chaga, reishi (above), cordyceps, and others will be incorporated into drinks, raw foods, and chocolate.

PRESSED JUICE AT HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND NIGHTCLUBS

It is well-known how popular pressed organic juice has become over the last 12-18 months. While competition is definitely increasing and saturation may be occurring in some markets, especially in parts of Manhattan, demand is not slowing down at all.

Yet, this strong consumer demand for pressed organic juice does not end at 4PM nor is it restricted to juice bars. Healthy consumers do not take vacations from being healthy, and we want healthy options wherever we go and whatever time of day it is. And for those individuals who do drink alcohol, they don’t want a cocktail made with pesticide-laden, poor quality juice from a can.

Savvy hospitality entrepreneurs and executives are beginning to understand this, and that is why I believe we’ll be seeing pressed organic juice at restaurants, bars, hotels, and nightclubs. It has already started in a very small way here in New York City, but this trend will grow across the country, particularly in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Aside from being a new profit center, it will also serve as a key differentiator.

INNOVATION IN YOGURT

Very quietly, the organic yogurt category has gotten a lot more interesting as of late. And with Whole Foods kicking Chobani off of its shelves, there will now be more room for new organic and non-GMO brands.

Innovation in the yogurt space will continue and that means more types of yogurt from all over Europe, more grass-fed varieties, more glass bottles (yes, yogurt in glass bottles), more goat’s milk yogurt, and more compelling flavors and products.

Consumers will benefit from the increase and diversity of offerings.

BLACK SESAME SEEDS

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I go crazy over black sesame seeds.

Yet, I seem to be in the minority, and it isn’t often that I see them used at restaurants or in organic food products.

That will start to change this year as more people begin to appreciate the tremendous nutritional value that black sesame seeds provide and how they improve the flavor profile of a dish. Black sesame seeds are a great source of magnesium, calcium, and zinc, and in Chinese medicine it is believed that they help to purify the kidney and liver.

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livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink