Health & Wellness Trends 2022

The global health and wellness food market is set to reach $4.24 Billion USD by 2026[1]. This has been helped by consumers around the world expressing a greater interest in self-care, clean(er) eating, and general health. And this mindset will continue into the new year, spurred on by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Here at Bolst Global, we have identified five health and wellness trends which we anticipate will be some of the fastest growing product categories of 2022. So, let’s jump straight in.

Over the last 18-months consumers have started to see food as medicine and are looking for new and easy ways to incorporate super foods into their diets. And the category set to grow exponentially in 2022 is adaptogenic mushrooms.

Mushrooms have been used for centuries to help cure inflammation, stress, anxiety, and a wide variety of other ailments

There are six mushrooms which we expect to see on supermarket shelves over the coming months thanks to their calming, adaptogenic properties. They are:

Of course, the most beneficial form of said super ‘shrooms is in their natural form, but this isn’t always the easiest to push as many consumers are unsure of exactly how to cook these wild mushrooms.

Instead, brands have started producing adaptogen-packed powders, capsules, and extracts, which can be easily consumed or added to other dishes or drinks.

Two brands that are doing interesting things with mushrooms are London Nootropics that specialises in mushroom coffee made from Cordyceps, Lions Main, and another adaptogen, Ashwagandha root, and SUM.sk that produces mushroom powders that can be incorporated into your own meals and beverages.

Just like mushrooms, there are other ingredients with adaptogenic properties that are increasing in use and popularity.

We’ve picked out three ingredients that are known to be natural immunity boosters, ideal in the wake of the pandemic:

Hibiscus is high in vitamin C and can be used to treat the common cold and influenza. Over the last few months there has been an influx in products infused with hibiscus on the market. From traditional herbal teas, to yoghurt, and supplement powders. Expect to see more pink hued products on shelves in 2022.

Yuzu is a small citric fruit commonly used in Asian cuisine thanks to its tart and sour flavour profile. But Yuzu is so much more than that because of its high vitamin content and antioxidants.

Yuzu products are becoming more accessible for the public, particularly essential oils, beverages, sauces, vinaigrettes, and other cooking ingredients. You can find a wide selection here on Souschef.co.uk.

Finally, Turmeric, or the golden spice, is on its way to becoming a household ingredient in many, many products in 2022. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is expected to be used as a complementary ingredient in cereal, porridge, ice cream, tea, coffee, honey, noodles, pasta, and a whole host of other products. So keep your eyes peeled!

2022 will see more grab-and-go beverage brands on shelves than we’ve probably seen in the last few years. But these aren’t just any old beverages, they are functional beverages offering an array of health benefits to consumers.

So far, we have seen how popular adaptogens, hibiscus, yuzu, and turmeric will be over the next 12-months, and these are just a few of the ingredients we can also expect to see beverages infused with.

Brands such as US-based Poppi’s functional sodas deliver healthier alternatives to the usual fizzy drinks we find on supermarket shelves. With only 5 grams of natural sugar, and added prebiotics, Poppi’s soda provides a wide range of benefits such as relieving bloating, detoxifying, and helping lower cholesterol.

On the non-carbonated drink front, there are brands like Waterdrop that are encouraging consumers to drink more water through their range of microdrinks and microteas that are packed full of immunity boosters, detoxifiers, and other superfoods. Simply drop the capsules into hot or cold water and hey presto!

Staying on the beverage track, 2022 is expected to be the year of alcohol-free spirits. Delicious drinks that won’t leave you with a hangover the next day.

During last year’s lockdowns many people dabbled in consuming less alcohol, with low or zero alcoholic beers being launched by many breweries around the world.

Consumers are now on the lookout for other flavours like botanicals, herbal ingredients, smoke, and spice, all typically found in popular cocktails, which can be recreated with all the taste, but none of the “buzz”.

Brands like Seedlip, Three Spirit, and Fluère Drinks were some of the first to develop alcohol free alternatives to gin, whisky, and rum, and can now be found both online and on supermarket shelves around the world. Expect to see similar brands popping up over the next 12-months.

In line with last year’s prediction that sustainable brands would become some of the fast-growing in 2021, there is another angle that is going to prove popular with consumers looking for brands that are trying to do their bit for the environment. The inclusion of upcycled ingredients.

During many food production processes, there are waste products that could be utilised in other ways.

More and more brands are becoming aware of the need to reduce their waste, whilst environmentally conscious start-ups are looking for innovative ways to upcycle such waste produce. This match made in heaven has spawned brands such as Bright Barley and Dash Water.

UK-based Bright Barley produces sustainable plant-based milk made from barley. It is predicted that similar products made from spent grain used during the beer brewing process will become mainstream in 2022. It is also reported that some of the world’s major breweries are already investigating how to upcycle their waste produce and diversify their product ranges.

On the other side, Dash Water takes “wonky” fruit that isn’t destined for supermarket shelves and uses them to produce their functional carbonated beverages. Dash even promotes this on their packaging making it the star of the show.

We can expect to see more brands following suit by utilising ingredients and produce that would not typically see the light of day, or simply end up on a landfill. We’re excited to see what comes out of this space over the coming months.

And there we have it. Our predictions for the five health and wellness categories set to take 2022 by storm: adaptogenic mushrooms, immunity boosting hibiscus, yuzu, and turmeric, fortified beverages, alcohol-free spirits, and products made from upcycled ingredients.

Why not let us know your own predictions for next year or get in touch to find out how Bolst Global can help your brand reach new markets in 2022.