WASHINGTON — Sustainable sourcing and gluten-free fare are expected to keep growing in 2014, according to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot culinary trends forecast.
Local produce and protein, as well as children’s nutrition, also figure largely into the top trends, which were determined by a survey of nearly 1,300 professional chefs and members of the American Culinary Federation.
“Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from, and that is reflected in our menu trends research,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice-president of the National Restaurant Association’s research and knowledge group. “True trends — as opposed to temporary fads — show the evolution of the wider shifts of our modern society over time, and focus on the provenance of various food and beverage items, unique aspects of how they are prepared and presented, as well as the dietary profiles of those meals.”
