2012 Trends

As we move into the new year, there's always a tendency to look back at the previous year and ahead to the coming year.  There are a million people out there giving their thoughts as to the food trends for 2012.  Here are just a few:

• French Fry Menus.  Restaurants will specialize in fries with menus that allow diners to choose what gets fried and the toppings or sauces that will be served with it.
• "Creative" ice cream flavors.  I personally don't see this as a coming trend.  If you've been to Owowcow Creamery or other artisan ice cream shops, this seems to have been going on for a while.  Remember the ice cream flavors I ate in Bar Harbor this year?  (Click here to refresh your memory.) 
• Classic comfort foods will continue to be popular and be "gussied" up.  Things like fancy burgers and mac and cheese will be on the rise (although this seems to have been happening for a while as well). 
• Simplicity.  I've always believed that if you use great, fresh ingredients, you don't have to do too much to them to make them delicious.  Some prognosticators think that more people will realize that throughout 2012.
• Better Kids' Menus.  I really hope this is a trend.  Having a 5-year old, I see all the kids' menus.  And most of them are terrible--hot dogs, mac and cheese (usually Kraft from a box), burgers, chicken fingers.  Why can't a kid have their choice of something delicious and creative?  One of the best kids' menus we've seen is at one of our favorite places, Cafe This Way, in Bar Harbor, ME.  They have grilled shrimp, quesadillas, fish, pasta, etc.  I hope more places take up that trend.
• Restaurants will list the sources of their ingredients.  With more people interested and involved in where their food comes from, eating locally, etc, I think this would be a great trend.  Some restaurants, Earl's Bucks County, for example, do that now.  Here's hoping more will do it, too.  It's not only informative, but kind of fun to see where your butternut squash or veal originated.
• Korean, Thai and Scandinavian foods will rise in popularity. 
• More people will use coupons--both for buying groceries and for restaurants.  Why wouldn't you?
• Restaurants will offer smaller portions to tap into customers desire to eat less and more healthy.
• On the other hand, some say that a donut craze will sweep the food landscape.  Fine with me!
• Some "diets" or items previously thought to be healthier will be scrapped in favor of more natural and tasty options: butter instead of margarine, healthy fats instead of fat-free, etc.
• And what I think might be the best trend of all: family dinners will prevail over activities that keep families from eating together.  For kids, this is a great thing.  Studies prove year after year that kids who eat the majority of their meals with their families do better in school, use less drugs/alcohol and have better relationships with their parents.  (Personal chefs make this really easy to do!)

So those are some of what people are saying will be happening in the food world in 2012.  Check out what some of 2011's trends were in my post from last year.  A few seem to have materialized.

Here's to a healthy and tasty 2012!