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12 grocery store bestsellers that weren’t in your cart
10 years ago
Posted: 12:00 a.m. Friday, March 28, 2014
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BY ADDIE BROYLES - COX NEWSPAPERS
When was the last time you went to the grocery store and didn’t see the
words “quinoa” or “gluten-free”?
Ten years ago, this wasn’t the case, but it only takes a few years for a
food product (or trend) to go from practically unknown to nearly
ubiquitous.
So what products have
gone from niche to
normal in the past
decade?
With input from
advertisement
Supermarket Guru Phil
In this Section
Lempert, the California-
Actor to give Miami U’s commencement address
based analyst who is
the undisputed king of
all us grocery store
geeks, here are a dozen
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grocery store
bestsellers that weren’t
KATE SEARS
Quinoa-Polenta Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper
Sauce and White Bean Puree from “Meatless All
Day” by Dina Cheney. Quinoa was not ... Read
More
even on our radar a
decade ago.
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Gluten-free
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Shoppers are cutting
gluten out of their diets
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for all kinds of reasons,
not all of which are
medically diagnosed.
But no matter why
people are avoiding
BATA FOOD COMPANY
Goji berries are one of the many nutrient dense
superfoods that line the aisles of grocery stores
these days. Photo by ... Read More
gluten, the truth is that
sales of gluten-free
products have doubled
in the past five years,
and more
manufacturers, including the stores themselves, are jumping on board.
Ancient grains
As we’ve started to reject plain old wheat, old-world grains are enjoying
their turn in the spotlight. Those nutrient-dense grains, including
quinoa, spelt, amaranth, farro, teff, wheat berries, kamut and millet,
also have the cachet of being more “authentic,” Lempert points out.
Kale
The K word is one of
the decade’s most
notable trends, even
though Lempert is one
of the many eaters who
finds it inedible in its
raw, mature form.
PHOTO BY ADDIE BROYLES.
Gluten-free cakes mixes used to be hard to find,
but now manufacturers including H-E-B and Betty
Crocker are making them. HEB ... Read More
Baby kale, however,
isn’t just an offspring of
a bigger leafy green
trend, Lempert says. “I think we’re going to see other produce items
that were not mainstream go mainstream but in their young form,” he
says.
Keep your eyes out for even more young lettuces, fruits and vegetables,
such as grape tomatoes and microgreens, that grace so many
restaurant menus now.
Greek yogurt
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Unlike probiotics, which were the driving force of yogurt’s most recent
wave of popularity, the key to Greek yogurt’s incredible success in the
past few years is another P: protein.
With the help of every low-carb diet ever invented, we’re on a real
protein kick right now, Lempert says. Greek yogurt doesn’t just have
twice the protein as regular yogurt, it’s thick and creamy in a way that
commercial yogurts used to taste, at least in our nostalgia for the preartificially colored and overly sweetened ones.
Non-potato chips
Chips used to be made out of one of two things: Potatoes and corn. But
walk down the chip aisle today, and you’ll find chips made from beans
(a breakthrough product from Austin company Beanitos) and other
legumes, such as lentils, sprouted grains and even popcorn and egg
whites. We’re also seeing non-chip snacks, like pretzels and Cheez-Its,
morphed into chip form.
There’s even a whole segment of non-potato vegetable chips, some of
which are freeze-dried whole vegetables while others are ingredients,
like kale, processed and seasoned to taste like something one might call
a chip.
Craft beer
Ten years ago, the beer aisle was dominated by the brewers with
enough money to buy Super Bowl ads, but now you can walk into a
store and find beer from local craft brewers that don’t even have a
marketing department. Americans’ taste for fancy beer has grown
faster than the big dogs can keep up, which has been a boon for the
smaller breweries that can make once lesser-known beers, like a coffee
porter or a double IPA, without a market study to justify the
production.
Superfoods
With our new “food is medicine” mantra, Americans want superhero
foods that can keep them healthy or cure what ails them. Although
there’s no official definition or regulation of the term superfood, you’ve
probably heard about them sometime in the past 10 years and then saw
those ingredients, including acai, goji berries, mangosteen, chia, hemp
and flax seeds, or coconut oil, creep into other products on shelves,
from granola and yogurt to juice and crackers.
Blueberries, eggs and apples could be considered superfoods, but what
we’re really talking about here are exotic ingredients marketed for their
health benefits.
Culinary-forward helper products
Hamburger Helper paved the way for a quickly growing segment of the
grocery industry: prepared sauces, pre-measured spices, pre-cut
vegetables and marinated meats.
Just as the first cake mix manufacturers found out, even though
Americans want shortcuts in the kitchen, they still want to feel like they
are cooking. (For cake mixes, it was the crack of an egg that made cooks
feel like they were still cooking and not just opening a box.)
Hundreds of new products have come out to help get dinner on the
table but still take advantage of consumers’ desire to try new recipes
and feel like they are in charge of what’s going on the dinner table.
Organics
Thanks to dozens of documentaries, books and TV reports about the
environmental effects of the modern agriculture industry, sales of
organics have tripled in the past decade, but Lempert predicts that
we’re in a bubble that is bound to burst.
Even with more organic products on the market, Lempert says that
there are signs that sales are starting to plateau, and with prices on
organic meat and dairy expected to rise because of the ongoing
drought in California, consumers will grow weary of the added
expense.
High-caffeine drinks
Kombucha, the tart, cultured tea that’s teeming with good-for-you
bacteria, has had a great 10 years, but it’ll never come close to eclipsing
the expanding caffeinated drink category. “We are such an
overcaffeinated country,” Lempert says, we’ll continue to see
unnaturally caffeinated drinks, ranging from high-powered teas to the
countless energy drinks on the market.
Mid-calorie sodas and snacks
Gone is the heyday for fat-free and zero-calorie. You’ll still find those
products, of course, but customers are figuring out, sometimes the hard
way, that fat-free doesn’t mean “won’t make you fat,” because those
products are often bulked up with sugar to compensate for flavor.
Innovations in food processing have given us more low-calorie
sweetening options, such as the plant-based stevia, which is showing up
in products across the supermarket.
Non-dairy milks
Dairy milk consumption has been falling since the 1970s, and soy and
almond milk used to be the only options for people who couldn’t (or
didn’t want to) drink regular milk. But now shoppers have dozens of
non-dairy choices, including milks made from seeds, nuts and even
those ancient grains.
QUINOA-POLENTA CAKES WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE
AND WHITE BEAN PUREE
This healthful, satisfying dish (vegan if you use a soy cheese) was
inspired by one of my favorite entrees at Le Pain Quotidien. If the
quinoa is not prerinsed, be sure to rinse it thoroughly to remove the
grain’s bitter taste. Roasting your own bell peppers will lend your sauce
the best flavor; however, in a pinch, you can go with jarred.
— Dina Cheney
For the roasted red pepper sauce:
3 small garlic cloves
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
3 grinds black pepper
For the white bean puree:
1 small garlic clove
One (15-oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed, strained lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary sprigs
For the quinoa-polenta cakes
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
2 tsp. coarse salt, divided
8 grinds black pepper
1 cup polenta (or corn grits)
1 cup prewashed quinoa
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed well to drain of excess water
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking the cakes
To make the pepper sauce: In a mini food processor, pulse the garlic
until minced, about 10 seconds. Add the peppers, olive oil, tomato
paste, honey, oregano, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth, about
20 seconds.
To make the white bean puree: Clean out the mini food processor bowl,
then add the garlic and pulse until minced, about 10 seconds. Add the
beans, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and rosemary, and puree until
smooth, 30 to 40 seconds.
To make the cakes: Bring 4 cups of the broth, plus half of the salt and all
of the pepper, to a boil in a deep, heavy medium saucepan over high
heat. Once the broth has come to a boil, gradually stir in the polenta
and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring vigorously and
frequently, until the polenta is tender and the separate grains are no
longer visible, about 23 minutes (expect a thin layer of the polenta to
stick to the bottom of the pan). Transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, bring the remaining 2 cups broth to a boil in a heavy
medium saucepan over high heat. Once the broth is boiling, stir in the
quinoa. Making sure the broth is still boiling, cover the pan, and reduce
the heat to medium low.
Simmer the quinoa until it is cooked through (the white squiggles in the
center of each grain will be visible, and each grain will be soft and
larger in size) and all of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the cooked quinoa, cheese, carrots, squeezed zucchini, flour,
parsley and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to the large bowl with the cooked
polenta. Stir very well.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 10-inch, heavy, nonstick saute pan over
medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, form seven 2-inch oval patties of
the quinoa-vegetable mixture, and add to the oil. Cook until the first
side is golden brown and a bit crispy, about 3 minutes. Using a nonstick
spatula, gently flip the cakes and cook until the second side is similarly
golden brown and a bit crispy, about another 3 minutes. Transfer to a
paper towel–lined baking sheet to degrease. Repeat with the remaining
oil and patties, never letting the pan go dry. You should end up with
about 19 cakes.
For each serving, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the white bean puree
onto the center of a plate. Place 3 or 4 cakes on top. Drizzle about 3
tablespoons of the red pepper sauce over the top. Serves 4.
— From “Meatless All Day: Recipes for Inspired Vegetarian Meals,” by
Dina Cheney (Taunton Press, $19.95).
SPELT SHORTCRUST PASTRY
This spelt shortcrust pastry really couldn’t be easier. It’s also delicious
when you add different flavorings to it, like orange or lemon zest, finely
chopped rosemary or thyme, or even lavender. This recipe makes
enough dough to line one 10-inch tart pan or six 4-inch pans.
2 1/2 cups white spelt flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (or pinch of stevia powder, optional)
2 large egg yolks
Put the flour, salt and cubed butter in a food processor and pulse until
the mixture remembles fine bread crumbs. Add the sugar, if using, and
egg yolks, and pulse again to combine. The mixture should immediately
come together and leave the sides of the bowl. Remove from the bowl,
shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least
1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a box grater, coarsely grate the pastry into a 10-inch tart pan (or
six 4-inch pans), then press it evenly into the sides and base to form a
tart shell. Prick the base of the tart with a fork and then chill again for
10 minutes. Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to line the
inside of the tart, scrunch it up into a tight ball, unscrunch it carefully,
and lay it onto the pastry, then fill with baking beans. Place in the oven
and bake blind for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and paper
and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is very lightly golden.
— From “Love, Bake, Nourish,” by Amber Rose (Kyle Books, $24.95).
Find recipes for Quinoa-Polenta Cakes and Spelt ShortCrust Pastry only
at MyDaytonDailyNews.com/life
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