As we usher in a new year, a few dairy food trends are on our radar. It’s once again cool to have fresh, home-cooked meals made with locally-sourced food. Where food comes from, how it’s made, and food waste prevention are all the rage this year, boiling down to 2017 being a pivotal year for sustainable eats. Here are a few of the top trends to keep an eye open for this year:
1 – Making calories count
With growing evidence that fats are an essential part of a balanced diet, our love affair with “low fat” anything appears to be ending.
After a decade long hiatus, 2017 marks the return of Yoplait Custard. This time around, General Mills’ silky custard-style yogurt is made with whole milk and available in six flavors including Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry, Banana, Lemon, and Caramel. It’s also free of artificial colors and flavors.
2 – Can’t Beet the flavor?
Beet yogurt is an unexpected flavor that’s surprisingly tasty as a stand-alone snack or creative condiment to enhance a meal. Try swapping sour cream for beet yogurt in recipes or as a topping on your favorite foods. Our favorite? Baked potato.
Give it a try with this Roasted Beet and Yogurt Soup. It’s great warm or chilled!
3 – Pack on the protein, please.
You asked, and General Mills listened. Their Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt offers more protein and still just 100 calories – helping folks stay fuller longer.
All 20 varieties now have 14-15 grams of protein per serving.
4 – The purpose of repurposing: waste not!
Don’t ditch Parmesan cheese rinds. Home cooks across the country are creatively turning them into a food-waste inspired dishes, like spaghetti. Simmering Parmesan cheese rinds in pasta sauce easily repurposes food waste. Even food producers are getting in on the action, using leftover whey from yogurt production to create probiotic drinks.
5 – Tapping into Functional Foods
Foods with health benefits beyond basic nutrition, like kefir, a fermented milk, are known as functional foods. A creamy, yogurt-like drink, kefir is one of the fastest rising stars for its role as a probiotic food. Drink it straight up, blend it in a smoothie, or use it in recipes calling for milk or buttermilk, like pancakes or muffins. What makes this fermented drink insanely good for you?
There you have it! Think we missed something? Already have a fridge full of beet yogurt? Leave messages and let us know what you think.
Article from: American Dairy Association
