The Gluten-Free Trend is Right on Trend (and on Its Way Out)
Has another food trend come and gone? It seems that way. According to registered dietitians in a recent U.S. News article, the gluten-free trend is on its way out.
As with other food trends, many consumers made the jump to gluten-free eating prior to having all the information. Though it was initially thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and help with digestive issues, registered dietitians say that if it is not medically necessary, eliminating gluten may be doing consumers more harm than good. After all, grains are an important source of nutrients and it is recommended that consumers eat around 6 ounces every day as part of a healthy diet.
“As with all fad diets, we’re starting to see this one wane.”
The declining gluten-free trend is right on trend. Many other past food trends, such as Paleo, low-fat, and low-carb diets have followed the same path, they simply don’t last. The trends begin as immensely popular but quickly fade away, only to be forgotten by consumers. So why aren’t these food trends lasting? Probably because consumers don’t want to make the drastic changes required to follow these specific diets. In fact, the 2017 IFIC Food and & Health Survey found that only 14% of consumers followed a specific eating pattern or diet in the past year. Sure, consumers want to eat healthy, but completely changing the way they eat is simply not sustainable in the long run.
What will the next food trend be? Who knows. What we do know is that rather than large changes, consumers want products that fit easily into their lives and, at the same time, are good for them and have proven health benefits.