Culinary Trends for 2011

A survey of over 1500 chefs conducted by the American Culinary Association has revealed the top 20 .

Environmentally-consciousness reigns supreme in this list, with sustainability figuring prominently in the top 20. In fact, "green-friendly" choices take up the top 3 spots and include;

Locally-sourced meats and seafoodLocally grown produceSustainability

You'll find sustainability-friendly trends throughout the top 20, with children's health-related trends also occupying some spaces. Here are the remaining trends;

Nutritionally balanced children's dishesRestaurants with their own gardens and chefs who do their own butcheringChildren's nutritionSustainable seafoodGluten-free food and being food allergy consciousSimplicity/back to basicsFarm/estate branded ingredientsLocally produced wine and beerSmaller portions for smaller pricesOrganic produceNutrition/healthCulinary cocktails with savory or fresh ingredientsNewly-fabricated cuts of meat (pork flat iron, for example)Fruits and vegetables as childrens side itemsEthnic-inspred breakfast items (Asian-flavored syrups, chorizo scrambled eggs)Artisan cheesesDoes this mean anything?As someone who doesn't eat out much, or watch any of the reality cooking shows, I don't keep my finger on the pulse of what's trendy when it comes to restaurants. A few observations, however from a casual observer;Nothing particularly jumps out at me as revolutionary or "new", rather it seems to be spill-over from the past decade of sustainability-minded eating.I wonder how many restaurants will actually be following these trends considering the higher cost associated with some of the proposed trends.I truly hope that the trend of healthier children's offerings catches and permeates through both sit-down restaurants, as well as fast food joints.Many of these trends should be practised in homes and schools - not only restaurants.

What are your thoughts on the predicted trends?

Image Credit: Danperry.com

Big Business Fast Food Food restaurants trends ElsewhereWorst Fast Food of 2010 (That's Fit)Senior 15 May Be More Accurate Than Freshman 15 (DailySpark)7 Surprising Secrets of Successful Weight Loss (Diet Blog)Video Exposes Horrible Conditions at Embattled Egg Farm (Diet Blog) 5 Comments ArrowSmith on 29 Dec 2010

So 2011 the trend will be - eat healthier. Big whup.

Reply Jim F. on 29 Dec 2010

The trend of local/sustainable is good - but in reality it's just a nice thought that doesn't even touch the industrialized food system. It's also too expensive for the average joe.

Reply Spectra on 29 Dec 2010

I like that we as a nation are finally starting to focus on kids' nutrition. It sucks that kids have been expected to only eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese because they don't "like" veggies. If you feed them like they're adults, they'll eat like adults and develop sophisticated palates.

Reply stacey on 1 Jan 2011

I think that the true trend, that will sum up all the culinary trends listed above, is to get back to basics. We have lost touch with the origin of our food and need to put more thought into some basic questions: Where does our food come from? Are the ingredients something I can use in my own kitchen (or is it more appropriate for a laboratory?) and Is this a "productive" meal; will it feed my body well by providing my body with nutrients?

Reply Ellen on 1 Jan 2011

I think another trend in 2011 is intuitive eating- connecting with the body to eat what keeps you healthy. A blog that offers ways to do this without stress is www.fine-tuning-eating.blogspot.com

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