During the pandemic, consumers became aware of the importance of eating healthy indulgent food. In addition to stress relief from eating indulgent food, finding a balance between healthy eating and stress relief became increasingly important for packaged food companies.
Is ice cream a permissible indulgence in dairy products?
One of the most indulgent categories in packaged food is traditional ice cream. Nevertheless, this category has seen a shift toward health and wellness (HW) products under the notion of permissible indulgence.
The indulgence continues to be a consumer’s top priority while eating habits are being monitored more closely. HW ice cream is now expanding its product portfolio to include plant-based products globally. Dairy-free diets are still driven primarily by health concerns, although the appearance and weight control are also important facts conversely, this highlights the potential of plant-based ice cream in the permissible indulgence space, by targeting consumers who seek out balanced snacking, looking for indulgence while still maintaining a sense of responsibility.
Many mainstream ice cream brands are launching dairy-free ice cream products, including premium offerings, as competition intensifies. The global leader in ice cream, Unilever, has been a pioneer in the permissibly indulgent ice cream segment, offering a wide variety of flavours, and prioritizing plant-based ice cream.
Different ways are being exploited in the dairy alternatives industry to exploit permissible indulgence. By offering a tasty twist and an indulgence angle, you can reduce the hurdles for consumers looking for plant-based options, where taste remains the main barrier to expanding the market and expanding eating occasions. With the aim of providing better and tastier choices to consumers, the yoghurt brand The Collective revamped its dairy-free range in early 2022, replicating the creamy and thick texture of dairy yoghurt using a blend of plant-based ingredients, along with delivering extended flavour choices: natural, raspberry, passion fruit and fudge. Adding indulgent flavours to dairy-free alternatives can help to overcome taste challenges, and is one option for delivering permissible indulgence in plant-based cuisine.
It is permissible to drink with healthy indulgent food and healthy snacks
Social distancing and fewer visits to crowded places have become part of consumers’ daily lives since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Around the world, new lifestyles have significantly changed alcohol drinking habits, shifting consumption from food service channels to homes. While volume sales at bars/pubs globally plunged by 40% in 2020, off-trade sales soared by over 20%, even as on-trade sales slightly recovered the following year.
Health-boosting “it” ingredients
As nutrition research is increasingly being showcased in mainstream media, the healthfulness of superfoods and ingredients has reached epic proportions, causing people to investigate key ingredients in products. Consequently, products like dark chocolate 100-calorie bars and green tea spiked with pomegranate and blueberries are immensely popular. Over two-thirds of adults purchased more fortified foods last year, an increase of 17% since 2005, according to the Food Technology report. The sale of healthy indulgent food is exploding with 69% of Americans pursuing a preventive lifestyle.
The healthy indulgent food way to dine out
IA’s new form of healthy cuisine is rapidly emerging in restaurants where the old paradigm of healthy indulgent food menus is being replaced by rubbery chicken breasts, iceberg lettuce, and acidic fat-free dressings. Weiss reports that restaurants are now offering healthier items such as wraps, pitas, entrée salads, chicken sandwiches, side fruits/salads/vegetables, vegetarian entrées, and bottles of water, tea, and fruit juice.
