Food changes in the last decade

In Jamaica, cooking demonstrations grew over the last year with more television cooking shows and with male and female celebrities and society's movers and shakers cooking up a storm for charity and entertainment. With the explosion of cable TV, popular cooks and chefs were in our living rooms.

Then there were the international diet crazes - from low carb, to blood type, to the array of meal-replacement shakes, which gave jobs to many who peddle these solutions. Locally, restaurants such as ital, natural, vegetarian and raw, grew, increasing consumer food options.

The fast-food offering also grew in types and locations and many of them extended their opening hours, thereby becoming the eating places for breakfast, lunch and dinner for young and busy people. Other food outlets, such as patty producers, diversified and caught the market with breakfast, lunch and dinner and extended their opening hours. There was the supersizing craze as well, where for a few more dollars you could be offered more food.

Technology changes

There was also the increase in information and the use of technology. More people had access to computers and the Internet and the media offered a lot of information on health and nutrition. The consumer became more informed, and this influenced the choices of some.

People started to question foods which were genetically engineered or used growth hormones. The outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) had people checking the source of their beef.

The health-food niche grew and many people started demanding organic products and began reading labels. Manufacturers complied with low-fat, low-sugar and other modified food options. Labels gave information such as whole grain, no trans fat, no cholesterol, no sugar added and other such terms for the health-discerning consumer.

Other miracle potions

Water became the new health food and people started by taking around their own water until bottled water became commercialised and a big business, even adding flavours to water. The energy-drink craze and roots drink and tonic wine also ballooned, and so have the food supplements.

One big negative for me was the increased use of plastics and other non-biodegradable food containers. I hope that over the next 10 years we will replace or minimise their use.

With the recession, many people have to make wiser choices. It is a growing trend for men and women to take lunch bags to work. As we face another decade and more exciting changes in food, we do hope that some of the healthier changes of the last decade will not just be fads.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.