Healthy eating: the trend that is reshaping the world

In the last few years, when going grocery shopping or when dining out, it’s been impossible not to witness a slow but sure change in what and how we eat.

What do we mean by that? While until a decade ago names such as: chai seed, acai berries, spirulina and quinoa were hardly ever used and barely known, nowadays everyone who’s anyone is having acai bowls for breakfast, quinoa for lunch and green smoothies for dinner, detoxing with the newest juice cleanse. Why is that? Why is it that all of a sudden everyone is straying clear of McDonald’s and Burger King and professing their love for soy beans and seaweed?

While this phenomenon owes its birth to a newfound attention towards nutrition and health, it’s also certainly been aided in its global spread by social media and influencers. Throughout the years this trend has been characterized by fads and new (short lasting) superfoods every other week, but wellness as an eating concept is definitely here to stay, and it’s reshaping us, body and soul.

“ ...but wellness as an eating concept is definitely here to stay.”

This trend is rebuilding also our culinary experiences when travelling: while a few years ago everyone visiting California had to have a burger from In’n’Out, today the must try food is an acai bowl. In Milan five new macha cafés have opened in the last two years. In New York bagels (a sacred breakfast tradition) have acquired a whole new shape, with fillings such as avocado, raw salmon, and so on. Websites listing the top ten healthy restaurants in every city in the world are growing in numbers every day, and it’s a known fact that, when travelling, the Internet is our best guide.

If we’re still skeptical about the influence of eating trends in our everyday life and, most importantly, in business, let’s just consider the fact that in 2005 in the US the consumption of avocados was only half of the its same consumption in 2015 (in that year 4.25 billion avocados were consumed).

This opens businesses up to a world of new opportunities that will quickly turn into threats if not acted upon immediately: following trends is not self-serving activity but a chance to prosper and broaden our visions, offering always more and more customized opportunities to the public.

Eating is an essential part of a travelling experience, and it should be valued as such without being too conservative or close minded: there are plenty of ways to evolve while still being faithful to our traditions!