Healthy food: trend or new lifestyle?

Many of you will have noticed that, in recent years, the number of vegetarian, vegan and organic restaurants has increased exponentially. There is, therefore, a tendency to opt for healthy, safe food, not contaminated by pollutants, albeit at higher prices. This means that the consumer, compared to a few years ago, is more willing to spend in favor of the quality and safety of the product. Customers, among other things, appreciate the fact that these restaurants follow a completely natural and sustainable philosophy, a trend that currently helps to make progress in the world of catering and which we have also talked about extensively in some of our articles. But what happened in recent years? Why are some foods deemed harmful or, in some case, unsafe?
Let's go and see in detail what has changed, for example, in flours, key product of bread, pasta and many other foods that we have usually eaten for generations.

Before the postwar period, bread was normally prepared with unrefined wholemeal flour. Refined white flour begins to supplant wholemeal flour because it is considered more digestible and easily workable. Moreover, giving the fact that you feel less satiating, white flour favors the consumption of other foods. This, of course, at the expense of some important nutritional characteristics.
In fact, introducing refined flour coincides with the introduction of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers which, to maximize production, have weakened the product by providing the final consumer with a raw material low in vitamins and minerals that are essential for our well-being. This is why, over the years, the population has begun to understand that they had to opt for a safer and more certified diet. This also applies to meat and, in general, animal proteins. Generally, several hormones are found in foods of animal origin, especially in milk, eggs and meat. We are not talking about hormones specifically injected into animals but the hormones that animals produce naturally, especially cows and chickens.

Recently, therefore, there has been a turnaround in eating habits and, in particular, after the advent of the pandemic, to protect the immune system and avoid some seasonal illnesses, the choice of the average consumer has focused more on organic and, in many cases, plant based food.
This explains the success of vegan, vegetarian or organic restaurants also here in Asia. In fact, the demand for plant-based protein food is because people are suspicious of possible links between bushmeat and the Coronavirus. That's why, especially in Hong Kong and Mainland China, some of them rethink their diet. China is the largest consumer of meat in the world; think of the enormous consumption of pork found in almost all traditional dishes. Despite everything, the Deliveroo distribution group says that, in the last three months, the demand for vegan food has doubled compared to the previous year. So we are all focusing more on organic and seasonal vegetables and fruits!
What about the big fast food chains? How will they react to this new trend? By adapting, of course! In April, plant based chicken nuggets supplied by a giant in the US agro-food industry were sold in three KFC stores in China.

In short, in this period more than ever, we must try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat safe food and keep our immune defenses high to protect our body from anything that can weaken it. So, follow us because, the next weeks we will post some important articles about how to eat fresh and organic food. In fact Tablo is collaborating with important specialists in the F&B world who will give you some good advice!

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