The National Restaurant Association surveyed professional chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation, on which food, cuisines and culinary themes will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2013. The “What’s Hot in 2013” survey was conducted in the fall of 2012 among more than 1,800 chefs.
Top 20 trends
1 . Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids’ meals
4. Environmental sustainability
5. C hildren’s nutrition
6. New cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat-iron, teres major)
7. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
8. Gluten-free cuisine
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
11. Farm/estate branded items
12. N on-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat)
13. N on-traditional fish (e.g. branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)
14. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items (e.g. Asian-flavored syrups, Chorizo scrambled eggs, coconut milk pancakes)
15. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
16. Health/nutrition
17. Half-portions/smaller portions for a smaller price
18. House-made/artisan ice cream
19. Black/forbidden rice
20. Food trucks
As you can see on the top 20 trends, Health concerns are evident. According to National Restaurant Association, the demand for healthier food restaurants will continue its spectacular growth, similarly to what has been observed in recent years. Opportunities for new business where supply becomes an Earth leakage and hence a huge potential for expansion in the food service market.
- Consumers will be more adventurous, dining out to seek new tastes and foods they can’t make at home 46%
- Consumers will generally order their favorite food when dining out, but sometimes try trendy menu items 44%
- Consumers will be more traditional when dining out, only ordering food that they know 7%
- Don’t know 4%
Healthy Grill 
Wow… this is encouraging. And most of the list sounds like the trends in our own kitchen! Thanks for the interesting post – including the artisan (homemade) ice cream, black rice, and sustainable seafood. The national trend toward eating a broader variety of food is excellent!