Fonas 10 Must-Know Food & Drink Trends: November

Kicking off the list is salted caramel as a cheddar cheese, introduced by Aldi. In addition to salted caramel, they also offer cinnamon apple cheddar cheese.

Switching gears from cheese to cookies is a prenatal vitamin cookie called Erzo. Erzo has no artificial sweeteners, 0 g trans fats, 100-percent whole-grains and is non-GMO. It was created to reinvent the way pregnant women take vitamins by putting a complete daily-dose of prenatals into three yummy biscuits. They are available in four flavors: oat, apple cinnamon, strawberry Greek yogurt and ginger.

For a fresh take on fresh, a company called Farmer’s Fridges is taking the concept of farm-to-table to a new level. They have turned vending machines into veggies machines by creating kiosks with salads made fresh daily. Even better—the unsold salads are donated to a local food pantry. Salads include Sweet Potato Harvest Salad, Lemongrass Chicken Salad, Shaved Veggie & Kale and many more. 

You’ve heard about farm-to-table, but what about farm-to-air? JetBlue and TerraChips just announced the Terminal 5 (T5) Farm at JFK airport, a blue potato and produce garden with 24,000 square feet of potato plants, herbs, arugula, beets and more, with an expected yield of 1,000 pounds of potatoes per harvest. The crops will go to some of T5’s restaurants and local food pantries with the eventual goal of the potatoes going to some of the Terra Chips served on-board Jet-Blue flights.

According to the October issue of Health Magazine, leafy greens, seafood, beans, nuts and dark chocolate are recommended adds to your grocery list. Why? Because researchers have found higher consumption of fiber, whole-grains and produce having protective effects and mood-boosting abilities.

Hopping over from fiber and whole-grains to eggs, Chef Christopher Kostow found curing yolks over everything from asparagus to smoked eel adds a hint of richness, an element that clicks other ingredients into focus. “It adds a unique, salty, fatty component to a dish, a depth of flavor."

Mustard made its way on the list as a centuries-old condiment that can bring a burst of spicy/sweet/sharp/mellow/hot flavor to just about any food. Now, there are more flavors to enhance your food experience. New varieties of mustard include: beer, smoky chipotle, whole -grain and dill.

Following mustard is the African fruit baobab, which has made its way into new product introductions in North America. From trail mix, cereal, chocolate and snacks like Baobites—which are described as “deliciously addictive"—the fruit hails more antioxidants than blueberries.

It is now recommended to bring a bottle of beet juice with you on your next workout. New research shows drinking about one glass daily may make exercise feel easier. Nitrates in beets lower blood pressure, which means your heart does not have to work as hard to pump energy-boosting blood and oxygen to muscles.

Lastly, salsa is a great match for tortilla chips, but its signature blend of tangy and spicy also makes it a versatile flavor enhancer in all kinds of dishes. Martha Stewart recommends pairing salsa with mussels and wine, with eggs for a salsa and spinach frittata, and a salsa BBQ sauce to spice up your grilled meats.