Given that 20 percent of all meal occasions are snacks, accounting for 25 percent of all calories consumed, it’s no surprise that more healthful snacking will be a major focus area for many food companies and food service operators this year.  Among other weight management trends causing Americans to rethink eating habits, there is growing recognition of the nutritional benefits of fruit and nuts. 

Market research indicates that this nutritional trend will continue to propel consumers' use of nuts and other natural foods as leading snack products. Food producers and retailers are responding by offering a greater range of tasty and convenient products, including nut and fruit bars and trail mix.

Food industry trends have led Federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and some politicians including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to push for reforms to nutrition standards and to manufacturers' labeling of America's food supply.

While this development has been long in the making, it also coincides with a weight management trend that is gaining steam rapidly: Growing numbers of American customers are letting manufacturers know that they are concerned about health and wellness and that they want the food they purchase to meet their dietary expectations.

Restaurants are increasingly adding healthy eating out options into their menus these days. What is key about current menu trends at restaurants are that they are in sync with a wide variety of contemporary healthy eating styles, including low-carb and locavore, paleo and probiotic. Ultimately, restaurants are getting savvy about how to satisfy nutritional trends and an ever-expanding range of niche diners who are interested in healthy and delicious food.

In the food and beverage market, health-conscious Americans are driving big changes in food production, packaging, distribution and service. This is especially evident in supermarkets and in restaurants, where companies are under pressure to provide clearly-labeled packaging and menus that list calorie amounts.

Warmer weather and longer days motivated me to make my first trip of the season to Home Depot’s Garden Center. Like last year, stevia plants were for sale. Of course, I had to ask how they are selling, and the clerk assured me they are a hit.

Earlier that day I interviewed James Kremer, Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at Country Club of Peoria, Peoria, IL, for an article I am writing on a topic for Culinology. He offered this from our conversation:

Weight management concerns are top of the mind for a substantial portion of today's grocery-aisle cart-pushers -- consumers, that is. Weight control, weight loss, and obesity are topics that rank among the most urgent health-related drivers: as reported in Packaged Facts’ report, "Weight Management Trends in the U.S.", two out of five adults, representing 88 million consumers, are currently watching their diet to either lose or avoid gaining weight.