Covid √…Climate Change √…Working from Home√…Time√……but what has changed in my kitchen and yours? …Will those changes last? Will some of these trends last way past 2021 and be the way forward for our health and wellbeing for future generations…I hope so as we need to move away from processed foods and chemicals in foods they are the cause of many chronic conditions and cancers.

The last two years have seen many changes in our daily lives. some forced upon us …others born out of necessity…Year 3 of Covid is looming who would have thunk 2 years ago?…there has been an awakening though,…changes in our shopping and eating habits…we have been spending more time in our homes, kitchens and gardens..we have learnt to appreciate the value of family and friends…to be kinder…to appreciate nature and music…

We have been forced to “think” about what the future holds for us…Around the world cooks and bakers have been born or reborn…we are shopping our larders… our pantries… our fridges…we are being smart and thinking about food waste…

Let’s have a closer look!

Takeout/Takeaway…

Quarantine has forced us and forced restaurants to have a rethink…more of us are now actively supporting our local restaurants and farmers… which is good for our carbon footprint… it’s a win a positive…

The downside..isn’t there always one of them…sigh…

I think you know where I am going this…Meal kits allow us to cook elegantly without going out to eat. Restaurant delivery brings restaurant meals home without cooking.

The problem is the packaging. Within our boxes of deliveries are boxes and bottles of products. And, most of this packaging has limited sustainable benefits.

The good news is this is changing. Many companies are rethinking packaging. These enlightened enterprises see the writing on the wall. There is too much plastic and non-sustainable packaging on our planet…Sustainable packaging communicates that the brand is acting responsibly. Responsible packaging builds customer trust. A brand may be organic or pure or authentic. But, if its packaging is non-sustainable, the brand promise is not credible…we are now watching and most importantly thinking…we can see the increase in packaging waste with our own eyes…we have the power …Yes, that tiny buy button is ours to press or not!

Pantry Meals…

The combined force of quarantine and making ends meet has made us look into our pantries and those tins gathering dust…the packets and the formally little-used spices are having a resurgence…there is a cook in all of us it just needed something to bring it out…I bake bread all the time now and am loving it although the waistline is not and the time to take action is nigh…that is another story…sigh…we have discovered we can bake..we can make delicious meals for our family with few ingredients…that is brilliant…FB, Instagram is bulging with recipes and tips…Utube has the tutorials…Me… I’m a happy bunny I love this upsurge in cooks as it means less processed meals are coming into our homes we are learning the joys of cooking and eating food in season and learning that we can most of the time use all of the veg…peels make wonderful fruit and scrap kinds of vinegar…

Did you know?

Pineapple waste makes “Tepache” which is a fermented beverage made from the peel and rind from the pineapple. Sweetened with Piloncillo or brown sugar, seasoned with powdered cinnamon and served cold it is healthy…Tepache has a high content of vitamin C, it also provides vitamins A, B and minerals like magnesium. helps to fight intestinal parasites contributing to good digestion since it contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps to improve the digestive process…

Not only did I find a use for pineapple waste I also learnt that I have Piloncillo in my pantry but under another name, it’s an unrefined block of cane sugar…found in most stores and Asian shops around the world.

Tepache is similar to kefir or kombucha, but easier to make…no scoby is required… Being fermented, tepache is a probiotic, gut-friendly refreshment that is sweet, sour, effervescent and mildly boozy…I am so happy I discovered this …. recipe and pictures will follow at a later date…

Low waste Foods…

With concerns of climate change on the increase, we’re more aware than ever of making eco-conscious purchasing decisions. This has, of course, trickled into the food scene, making low- or zero-waste one of the upcoming food trends of 2021.

Going low-waste with food means drastically reducing unnecessary packaging (especially plastic) and repurposing food scraps that may have previously ended up in the bin like broccoli stems …those little coins make a lovely extra vegetable for the plate, added to soups, stir-fries…carrot tops ...make pesto and potato peels make lovely chips great for a snack. There are many ways you can cut down on waste in the kitchen, and any step in this direction is a great way to fight the war on waste…Take these potato peels just add a little olive some salt and pepper or your favourite seasoning and pop in the oven until they are crispy and golden ..delicious and so easy to make..Kids and adults love them…

In the past, all three of these are things I threw away or composted(which)is good but to make another meal or snack(when children) are starving around the world is better…it saves buying potato chips/crisps…its another take on pesto I mean pesto perks up pasta it has so many uses…and broccoli stems they make a beautiful extra vegetable, added to stir-fries…added to the soup pot…they are my biggest difference I was so guilty of discarding them…

Spread and Butters…

We have seen an upsurge in making nut butter and spreads we are discovering how easy they are to make plus we can make as little or as much as we like…I have always made tahini and Peanut Butter but have now discovered cashew nut butter and how good ground cashews are for thickening a sauce…

We are seeing and hearing about an upsurge in butter and spreads made from pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds…these are all things many of us have been guilty of wasting..throwing away again I was one of the biggest culprits …the best thing is there are no nasties and preservatives when you make your own…and it quick and easy to do…

Home Baked Bread…

The world over has seen an increase in Bread Baking….that’s good and includes me…we have discovered the joy of yeast cooking and sourdough…we have discovered that yes it is an art and that we need to weigh our ingredients but the joy of seeing that dough rise and then the smell of fresh-baked bread…nothing beats that and once we have mastered that basic loaf…the world of bread and baking is our oyster…we learn about the difference in flours and experiment with different flours and maybe even grind some of own…I think this trend will last…

Mental Health…

Has come to the forefront during the pandemic and rightly so but also we are learning how food can affect our mood swings…

There is no doubt that when your body is lacking or starved of certain nutrients, it can have lasting effects. This is exactly why eating for your mind and body will be coming into focus as a rising food trend of 2021. There are so many wonderful ingredients and superfoods that can boost your mood, soothe anxiety, combat depression and support your mental health and nourish your body.

Veganism and Vegetaranism …

There has been a lot of ism’s lately don’t you think and while neither of these is anything new I do think there has been an increase in people trying alternative eating plans. Combined with concerns on the Climate and health and well being has made many rethink their diets and maybe cutting down or cutting out meat products…I have certainly reduced my meat consumption but will not be totally eliminating it from my diet as I believe in a healthy balanced diet is the way forward and should include all food groups unless there is a confirmed medical diagnosis or an allergy to certain foods.

Flexitarian Diets…

Why am I not surprised that simply cutting down has been given a name…put simply it is when meat becomes a now and again thing or just a weekend thing …reducing our meat consumption even slightly has been proven to make a difference… overall it is better for the environment and our general health.

I think it is great that the opportunity to change some of our eating habits has presented itself and shown us the way forward for better health and better living conditions for livestock maybe we will see an end to factory farming on enormous scales…which will benefit us all in the long term…

Thank you for joining me today I look forward to your comments as you all know I love to chat xx