Insects, seaweed, meal kits and turmeric will all have their moment in 2017, according to the recently released Loblaw 2017 Canadian Food Trends.

Now that we’ve woken up from our post-holiday slumber, it’s worth taking a minute to look at the supermarket giant’s eating and drinking predictions to ponder the trends that may consume us in 2017.

The New Conscious Consumer
Canadians will put the spotlight on vegetables first with smaller portions of sustainably sourced protein. Alternative proteins (think insects and plant-based)  will increase. Reducing food waste through root-to-stem or snout-to-tail cooking will grow.

The New Mindful Foodie
Canadians will be more conscious of what they consume and why as they aim for physical and mental health. More value will be placed on spices, dual purpose ingredients,  additive-free and raw foods such as seaweed.

The New Home Chef
The home chef will embrace slow cooking, preserving and canning – on weekends.  Expect meal kits to become the new standard on weeknights.

The New Connected Shopper
Online solutions – from pre-order to same-day delivery – will increase in popularity Expect a proliferation of apps and eCommerce solutions from retailers.

The New Canadian Cuisine
Turmeric and other international spices like togarashi and za’atar will go mainstream.

Turmeric cocktail, anyone?