The Nüssli118° 2022 Trend Report (with Bonus Recipes!)

I love this quieter time at the very beginning of a new year. It gives me a chance to enjoy my family, time for pajama days curled up with a cozy Golden Turmeric Superfood Latte, and plenty of opportunities to catch up on my reading. I always read something fun, something about current events and, of course, something about food and health. 

Here are some of the health and wellness trends predicted for 2022 that I’m particularly excited about!

Lifestyle

• Plant-forward diets will continue to gain popularity in the New Year. Whether it’s going full vegan or the new trend of “Reducetarianism", more and more people will limit their consumption of animal-based foods in favor of eating plants - especially to mitigate the harmful effects that the meat industry has on our health and the environment. When considering animal products, Reducetarians will look for high quality, grass-fed, wild-caught, humanely raised options.  
  
  
• Ultra-Urban Farming will make produce more widely available. This boundary-pushing food trend is all about growing produce in unlikely urban spaces, using renewable energy to do so. It will maximize space-use, man-power and growing mediums to be as efficient as possible. Most importantly, growing and eating fresh produce will become far more accessible thanks to Ultra-Urban Farming, hopefully addressing the problems of food apartheid and insecurity in America. 
  
  
• Restaurant alternatives. Covid-19 has hit the restaurant industry hard, and it looks like things may never be the same again. Instead, the new normal will consist of more dinner parties at home, picnics or al-fresco dining, and takeout from ghost kitchens. Ghost kitchens are “restaurants” or food prep facilities specifically setup for delivery with no counter or customer seating. Some will even be staffed with robots!  
  
  
• Regenerative Agriculture will reach a wider range of consumers. I first read about this approach to farming and food production back in 2006 in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. His well-written, informative book introduced me to the idea that soil health is the foundation of our food system. So the natural cycle of plant growth and death, the rotation of livestock animals on the land, the rotation of crops, and the seasons of land cultivation vs. rest are all essential to soil health - and therefore the quality/quantity of the food produced. Together these practices make up Regenerative Agriculture, and in 2022 we’ll see a lot more of them being used and talked about. In this article titled Dirt Poor, Scientific American details how our food has lost nutritional value due to deteriorating soil conditions inflicted by the bad agricultural practices of the past.

Beverages

• New Plant-Based Milks. The number of people making their own plant-based milk at home is on the rise, so it won’t be surprising to see all kind of new recipes circulating the internet in 2022. Like potato milk! (Yes, you read that right!) This tops my list of the most interesting new trends going into 2022. Not only is potato milk plant-based, it’s also environmentally friendly because potatoes are so easy-to-grow and available in most places locally grown. What could possibly be better?! Try out my recipe below, and let me know what you think!

Potato Milk

Ingredients:

Instructions:

• Hibiscus. This has been a Nüssli118° favorite for years! Pre-pandemic, we would always conclude our monthly 5-course dinner with a round of hot hibiscus tea. Now hibiscus is appearing on every 2022 top trends list for its delicious, sweet-tart flavor, its immune-boosting Vitamin C content, it’s herbal benefits, and it’s beautiful red hue. Try a Nüssli118° favorite with this simple recipe!

Hibiscus Berry Blend Cooler

• Non-alcoholic cocktails with other benefits is another “new” 2022 trend…that I’ve already been enjoying for years ;) I certainly enjoy a well-crafted cocktail or a special glass of wine, but with my daily dinner I love combining herbal teas with healing tinctures, lemon or ginger juice, and aromatic spices. The idea has taken off! Along with this trend, there is a market share for cannabis spiked drinks, hard kombucha, and teas enhanced with beer-strength alcohol. So there’s a little something for all tastes.

• Functional Fizzy Drinks. I’m not sure if soda has seen its final days, but trends are heading more in the direction of bubbly beverages that taste great and offer ingredients with health benefits such as probiotics, prebiotics, adaptogens and botanicals. You’ll certainly see more of these “Functional Fizzes” at the store in 2022.

Foods

• Superfoods provide an extremely high nutritional content compared to other foods. They will continue to top the trends in 2022 as they are good for your health, environmentally friendly, and very tasty! Here are 3 of the top Superfoods of 2022:
• Whether in your latte or as a main dish for dinner, mushrooms are king. Their texture is meaty and they’re nutrient dense. The mushroom is a perfect urban farm crop, too. Try our Mushroom Cacao Focus Superfood Blend! 
• Golden Mylks and Turmeric Tonics have been growing in popularity over the last few years. In 2022, look for this health-giving root in all types of foods from health bars to cereals to tofu scrambles. Try our Golden Turmeric Restore Superfood Blend!
• Moringa, often called the “miracle tree”, is a traditional herbal remedy in India and parts of Aftrica. It’s fast-growing, drought-resistant, and a good food source providing plenty of nutrients. This year, moringa is gaining recognition as an alternative or addition to matcha.

• Sunflower seeds. In the Nüssli118° kitchen, we incorporate sprouted sunflower seeds into our most popular products: Sprouted Seed Crackers and Sprouted Nut Granolas. You’ll be seeing more of this mighty seed in 2022 because it’s a great alternative for people with nut allergies. It also speaks to a trend toward a lighter draw on natural resources - such as water and soil - to grow. Check out this article to explore the many benefits of sunflower seeds!

• Yuzu. Have you tried it? There's a good chance you will in 2022! This Asian citrus will be popping up in all types of products and dishes for it’s uniquely tart, sour, lime-lemon-grapefruit flavor.

• Kelp. Last but not least, trends indicate that kelp will be taking the health world by storm in 2022. Farming kelp actually pulls carbon out of the atmosphere and nitrogen from the ocean, so in a world wracked by climate change, there is a lot of incentive to grow it! Kelp also grows fast and has a great nutritional profile, making it the perfect eco-friendly food ingredient of the new year.