What's Hot in 2013: Top five culinary trends this year

Late last year the National Restaurant Association (NRA) prepared its annual 'What's Hot' forecast about upcoming culinary trends. For the purpose, they surveyed more than 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). The findings of the survey are comforting and encouraging as they continue to stress the importance of local and clean produce as well as healthy kids' meals and menus. The Chef Survey features a total of 20 top trends out of which we have picked the top 5. These are:

• Locally sourced meats and seafood
• Locally grown produce
• Healthy kids' meals
• Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme
• Children's nutrition as a culinary theme

Christopher Chan / Food Photos / CC BY-NC-ND

Locally sourced meats and seafood, as well as produce, have been on the top of the list for the last few years. Local does not necessarily mean organic though both terms tend to fall within the category of 'green' foods. Organic food is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 'Local', on the other hand, is broader, more focused on the origin of the produce rather than its cultivation, and is not regulated. Furthermore, there is not a strict definition of how local 'local' is. It could be nearby or across the state, though the general idea is that it comes from within a 150-mile radius. And while there is such a misconception, the fact remains that local is certainly a good idea as it supports nearby farms or communities. Even if not entirely organic, it is still more environmentally friendly because there's less transportation involved. Healthy kids' meals is another trend that has been on top for the last few years. It is part of the ongoing Kids LiveWell Program devised by the NRA to encourage both restaurant guests as well as restaurant operators to help kids make healthier choices when dining out. There is a number of nutrition criteria that meals need to meet in order to be accepted as healthy. These include (per full kids' meal): 600 calories or less, ≤35% of calories from total fat, ≤35% of calories from total sugars (added and naturally occurring), and others. There is also a requirement for meals to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in certain amounts. Fortunately, a long list of restaurants has already embraced the initiative and now that the trend is again among the top 5, they will hopefully continue.

New to this year's list of top culinary themes is environmental sustainability. The fact that it has made it to the top 5 apparently signals an ongoing interest on the part of consumers and chefs in the origin and production of their food. While it may seem to overlap with the first two, it is a broader consideration about how foods are produced – which is not only concerned with whether and how many pesticides were used but also where, how and by whom the food was produced. Environmental sustainability includes considerations about upholding natural balances, fair trade and food waste prevention.

Interestingly enough, children's nutrition is culinary trend number 5, even though number 3 was healthy kids' meals. This only serves to show and further underline the fact that America's chefs are becoming ever more conscious of the need to create dishes and menus that will benefit the young ones. Healthy eating choices are also a matter of education – not only factual but also sensual, a type of 'taste bud' education. Thus, children's nutrition has come to occupy number 5, as an ongoing priority for America's chefs. Or as Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, ACF national president put it: “I am pleased that members of the American Culinary Federation, who took part in the survey, continue to make children’s nutrition a top priority for 2013. Many ACF members are heavily involved in this effort all across the U.S., both in community programs and with Chefs Move to Schools.

The NRA also released a survey about the top beverage trends for 2013. Make sure to have a look at their website for a more detailed list of the trends, facts and statistics about the restaurant industry, as well as additional reports and programs.