There is no shortage of new innovations when it comes to the food industry. Foodservice providers are offering consumers more convenient ways of receiving food, while presenting farm fresh ingredients, and healthier menu options. While technology has been a major factor in convenience, the actual food ingredients are taken back to the basics. Overall, here are the top 3 trends in foodservice.

1. Online Ordering

With advances in technology, ordering food online is becoming easier than ever. Whether you download the app and place your order or if you order directly from the website, you can search local restaurants in your area for what you’re craving. Many sites offer nutritional information in correlation to their menu choices, which is an even more convenient feature. Whether you choose to pick up your order or have it delivered, you can have your food in your hands in a matter of minutes. Foodservice is taking things a step further, expanding service beyond the dining room.

2. Vegetables are Center Plate

Move over meat, vegetables are being celebrated as the star ingredients of the plate. There’s been a strong movement toward healthier options in foodservice. One way that consumers are being satisfied are menu options that center around vegetables as the main ingredient. An option for anyone, vegetable centered plates are not classified as just vegetarian or vegan. Many times, vegetables are substituted for a healthier dish, swapping out traditional comfort food ingredients. For example, you may choose from rice bowls, vegetable skillets or spiralized vegetables in place of pasta.

Check out these vegetable centered options:

Quinoa Taco Bowl (recipe & photo courtesy of Lemon tree Dwelling)

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce (recipe & photo courtesy of Simple Vegan Blog)

3. Sustainability & Food Waste Reduction

Preventing food waste has been an ongoing struggle for foodservice. Especially with perishable ingredients, there is bound to be some food waste from spoilage. Along with raising awareness about food waste prevention, there has been significant progress made when coming up with solutions to reduce food waste. In an article by Food Management, [*5 Foodservice Trends for 2016*][8], the Compass Group is featured for beginning the Imperfectly Delicious Program (IDP). The article explains, “…the goal [is] connecting chefs with farmers to rescue imperfect produce that would be sent to landfill or compost simply because of cosmetic imperfections.”

How NatureSeal Can Help

NatureSeal for Foodservice has been providing our produce protection services to the foodservice industry for close to two decades. From our initial debut with providing healthy options like sliced apples, to our recent launch of NatureSeal for Guacamole and Avocado, there has been considerable progress in the NatureSeal’s foodservice line. The line has grown substantially, providing protection from browning in a variety of fruits and vegetables. With the ability to prep ahead of time, diversify menu options, and reduce food waste, culinary experts have been very pleased with the results when using NatureSeal on fresh cut produce. Learn more about shelf life extension and how you can apply it to your foodservice practices.

What other foodservice trends have been catching your attention? Leave your comment below.