According to reports, Australia is facing high food inflation, with rates rising from 2% during the COVID-19 pandemic to 7.8% in December 2022. These rising rates are expected to continue through 2023, and thus consumers and families are making smarter choices when buying groceries and eating out. Besides smarter food choices, Australians are also venturing towards more environmentally sustainable food options, reducing waste as well as more health-based foods. Here are some of these top healthy food trends for 2023 given by health experts in Australia:

Top Health Food Trends Of 2023

1. Eating More Meals At Home

Since the cost of meals in restaurants and takeaways rose by 7.3% in December 2023, consumers are opting to eat more meals at home. People are also making smarter food choices by buying only the groceries they need, planning meals ahead and buying more affordable options. For instance, Australians are buying more tinned fish in place of more expensive meat cuts.

2. Improved Efforts At Reducing Food Wastage

Did you know that Australia wastes 7.6 million tonnes of food every year, which costs the economy around 36.6 billion dollars? This massive food wastage also causes around 3% of Australia’s global greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian government has already started initiatives like Stop Food Waste Australia and the Australian Food Pact voluntary agreement to reduce food wastage by 50% by 2030. These initiatives also include upcycling unsaleable produce into food ingredients, plant protein powders and material for composting to stop food from ending up in landfills.

3. Increased Focus On Plant-Based Food Products

Even though meat plays a significant role in the Aussie diet, more than 27% of people are now opting for more plant-based food options. Plant-based meat like burgers and sausages is fast becoming a natural and healthy alternative to red meat in Australian households.

There are also now plant-based seafood options like vegan sushi that have just entered the market but are already creating quite an impact. This trend will continue in 2023, with more plant-based options for dairy and egg products as well.

4. Consuming Healthy Lab-Grown Meat

Currently in the developing stage, cultured meat can soon be launched in the market, with many countries, including Australia testing this trend. Biotechnology and tissue engineering processes extract cells from animals and produce meat products as cultured meat or cell-based meat. This is a healthier option as you do not have to kill the animals for the meat product, and you can also reduce the emission of methane gas as you do not have to graze the animals. This cell-based meat will:

• Help climate change
• Reduce chemicals in meat
• Stop the killing of animals

5. Growth Of Food Products That Boost Your Mood

Lastly, according to health experts in Australia, there is a growing trend of food products that improve brain functioning and your mood in 2023. People are more interested in purchasing and eating foods that not only improve their health and provide them with all the nutrients but also food items that make them happy and fight depression and anxiety.

For instance, there has been an increase in demand for omega-3 fatty acids as they help improve mood swings and boost feel-good hormones in your body. There has also been a rising demand for food products that contain zinc, magnesium, caffeine and vitamins that:

• Increase the functioning of your brain
• Reduce the risk of dementia

Another rising trend is the demand for natural nootropics like ginkgo biloba, lion’s mane mushroom, ginseng and L-theanine in your green tea. These products improve cognitive functions in your body and mind.

Conclusion

Thus as seen above, the main healthy food trends in 2023 will place emphasis on more plant-based food options, including plant-based meat like burgers and sausages. There will also be an increased emphasis on reducing food wastage as well as unnecessary expenses on eating out and groceries. You will also find more mood-uplifting foods in the market that will help fight depression and dementia. But the most significant trend could be the rise of cell-based meat, which will stop animal killing. However, this trend is still in its testing stages and needs to undergo several trials before being launched in Australia.