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In 2015 people around the UK are starting their New Year resolutions. Whether it’s to shed a few Christmas pounds, start a completely new eating regime, or just doing something that makes us feel happier, health is always top of the list.
With new foods, juices and diet plans entering the market regularly, it can be confusing to know what to eat, drink and ‘supplement’ – but Ocado can make it that bit easier.
The Ocado Buying Team has reviewed the best-sellers of 2014 and predicts what will be the new ‘trends’ for 2015.
Health
“Research shows that 1 in 3 people are actively trying to lose weight, and our sales data reflects just that.” says Chris Sanford, Health Buyer at Ocado. “Sales of diet food and supplements are up 39% this year, with customers filling their baskets with everything from protein shakes and chia seeds to coconut oil and hemp. Atkins diet products still even stand out with sales up 65% year-to-date, showing that Brits still consider carb control an effective way to manage their weight.”
The protein evolution is well underway, with Brits looking to this food group to help them feel fuller for longer and therefore control their cravings. Ocado has seen a massive rise in sales of protein powders and protein-enriched foods and snacks, from bars and drinks to ready meals and protein nut butters. Sales of the UFit protein shake range alone grew by a huge 400% this October.
To meet the ever-growing customer demand, Ocado will be launching a wider range of protein products including Nuts N'More fortified butter spreads (combined with their pre-existing range of Meridian Natural Peanut Butters), protein coconut water and protein espresso. There will also be an increase in the natural and vegan products on offer, such as Pulsin Powders products (rice and hemp) and Sunwarrior vegan protein, giving customers more variety.
For 2014, coconut oil sales are up 150%, Chia seed sales increased by a massive 500% and Linwoods Flaxseeds and other milled seeds also continued to remain popular, with sales up 109% year-to-date. Chris expects sales of superfood supplements to grow even further and plans to grow the range in 2015, with Maca (a root plant) and Baobab (African fruit) expected to become even more popular in the New Year.
- UFit Protein Shake Drink Strawberry 310ml – £2
- Performance Meals Peri Peri Chicken Breast With Brown Rice 350g - £3.99
- Fushi Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil Raw 250g - £9.95
- Fushi Maca Powder 100g - £6.77
Juice
Kevin Hancock, Ocado’s Senior Buying Manager for Chilled Juices, predicts: “2015 will see a growth in juice led largely by healthier options, with a decline in demand for normal fruit juice and soft drinks due to worries about sugar.”
Coconut water is predicted to see massive growth in 2015 as will high pressured pasteurisation (or cold pressed juices), which keep more of the nutrients as the product isn't heated but pasteurised, via high pressure. Sales of Plenish juices were up 120% and sales of Vegesentials shot up by 75% throughout the year.
• Unoco Raw Coconut Water 250ml - £2
• Vita Coco Natural Coconut Water 1L - £3.49
• Plenish Mind Body Green Cold Pressed Juice 250ml - £5.95
• Vegesentials Beetroot, Pomegranate & Carrot Juice 250ml - £1.99
Sprouted Grains
Products containing sprouted grains (such as flour, porridge and soya beans) are growing in popularity. Champagne Cleary, Buying Manager for Cereals at Ocado, believes that there will be a continued focus on this food group and its health benefits during 2015, expecting them to become much more common place in customers’ shopping baskets; “Not only do they contain more nutrients (as the grains are allowed to sprout and dried at a low temperature) but they're more efficiently absorbed and digested by the body.”
Vegetables
Sophie Francis, Buying Manager for Vegetables, expects that 2015 will also be a big year for pickling. “This will work particularly well with other trends of the New Year such as burgers and Asian cuisine”, says Sophie. “Pickle can be made with typical ingredients but customers can try something more adventurous, using more unusual ingredients such as Natoora Radicchio or Ocado aubergines for exciting flavours and textures.”
Following on from a massive year for kale, there will also be continued interest from customers in using nutritious leafy greens such as collard greens and rainbow chards, and roots such as salsify and squashes which are easy to add to everyday meals.
• Natoora Radicchio di Verona 300g - £3
• Ocado Baby Aubergines 200g - £1.69
• Aspall Organic Cyder Vinegar 350ml - £1.60
• Bart Ground Allspice 40g - £1.79
• Watts Farms Chard 200g - £1.69
• Ocado Exclusive Queen Squash - £2.39
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