Our annual trends report is here. We’re breaking down some of the trend predictions for 2023 so you can easily integrate them into your life. A lot of people subscribe to the “new year, new me” mentality, which absolutely works for some people. For the rest of us, we need a softer approach to lifestyle changes or trying new things. You'll find that here.
We’ve curated a thoughtful list of trends that experts are predicting will either continue to gain in popularity or emerge as a new trend in 2023. We’ve added approachable suggestions for giving them a try or fully integrating them into your lifestyle.
Bonus: your Rise Garden can help you along the way! Let’s dig in.
Add more whole foods to your menu
Experts are seeing more and more consumers choose real ingredients and food over processed food. Rather than reaching for pre-made box foods or “junk” food, people are choosing fresh ingredients and meals. This includes salads, meals with more fresh vegetables, greens and herbs, wraps instead of processed chain hamburgers.
If your goal is to eat healthier this year, start by adding more healthier options to menu instead of focusing on eliminating. Over time, you’ll make healthier choices and not reach for the less than stellar options you want to eliminate.
As they say, if you build it, they will come. Well, with a Rise Garden: if you grow it, you will eat it. Growing your own food strengthens your relationship with it. Growing it from seed, watching it grow, caring for it and seeing it everyday establishes connectors to your food.
Pro-tip: Place your Rise Garden in a room where you’ll see it most days. You’ll see fresh, healthy food growing in your home every day and you’ll be more likely to reach for it since it’s convenient.
Increase plant-based meals in your menu plans
Plant-based eating has been a huge trend in recent years–and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. It is, however, moving away from the trend where plant-based foods mimic meat–i.e. the Impossible burger. Consumers are choosing to eat more plants in ways that don’t mimic meat and enjoying the diverse flavors plants bring to the table.
We recommend adding more peppers and tomatoes to your gardening plan this year. They are so versatile and make a huge difference! Might we suggest our abundant Jalapeño Peppers. It has a high yield and the shishitos are full of flavor.
Pro-tip: Always have a variety of herbs growing in your Garden. They deliver impactful flavors that can make or break a recipe. Plus, growing and harvesting them when you're ready results in better tasting food. And, we all want that!
Grow and harvest more edible flowers
Flowers are a huge trend for 2023. Edible flowers are a visually appealing addition to any plate or meal. Experts say baking will see an influx of edible flower decor and inclusion this year, too.
Start by growing edible flowers like Marigolds, Violets, Chamomile, Lavender and Borage in your Rise Garden or grow a whole flower garden in a Personal Garden. Edible flowers are beautiful additions to salads, sandwiches, cocktails and cakes!
Pro-tip: You can also harvest edible flowers from fruiting plants like pea flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and of course, zucchini plants.
Save money on food
With grocery store prices skyrocketing and predicted to continue to climb, consumers are looking for ways to save money on their grocery bills. Growing your food is an easy way to save money on fresh ingredients. By growing your own vegetables and harvesting them when you need it, you reduce food waste and the need to toss that $5 or $6 head of lettuce away.
Pro-tip: Try out these two crop planning guides to help you maximize the space in your Rise Garden, pay off your garden in 6 months with savings from the grocery store, and always have fresh ingredients ready for mealtime.
Ditch artificial sweeteners for natural sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners have gotten a lot of heat in recent years. Some studies show these sweeteners can have harmful effects on your body, hormones and gut health. Experts agree that natural sweeteners like dates and stevia will continue to increase in popularity as consumers make the switch.
Pro-tip: Make space in your Rise Garden for a few stevia plants. You can harvest the leaves and make your own liquid stevia. Learn how here.
Try new recipes and enjoy cuisines from around the world
You don’t need to pack your bags to enjoy flavors from across the world. You can grow those hard to find ingredients in your Rise Garden. For example, Holy basil is a prominent ingredient in Thai cuisine but is harder to find in U.S. and Canadian grocery stores. So, you’ll often see holy basil substituted in Thai recipes. By growing holy basil, you have access to an incredible ingredient that opens up a world of possibilities and a lot of delicious Thai recipes.
A few other plants we suggest include: Fennel, Mexican Tarragon, Marjoram, Lemongrass, Red Cloud Tatsoi, Red Shiso, and Chinese Broccoli
Pro-tip: When looking for globally-inspired recipes, seek recipes from a creator from a given culture. You’ll likely get a more authentic recipe and you'll be supporting a creator who is sharing their culture and food with the rest of the world. Check out one of our favorite recipe creators here.
Add a few zero waste food strategies to your lifestyle
Food waste is still a huge problem. Nearly 40% of food is wasted in the U.S. While a lot of that happens at the grocery store or industry-level, households contribute a significant portion of that statistic. Growing your own food in a Rise Garden allows you to harvest vegetables when you are ready to use them. No more rotting cilantro or week old bags of lettuce in the produce drawer.
Another way to reduce food waste is upcycling food by using all of the parts of an ingredient. Radish greens are a great example. You can use them in many different recipes, make pesto, and add them to salads.
Other ways to upcycle your food include:
- Using produce scraps to make veggie stock
- Eat all of the edible parts of a plant. We mentioned radish greens but beet greens are delicious too. You can substitute them for Swiss Chard in recipes.
- Add cilantro stems to salsas
- Use lavender and chamomile stems in addition to the flowers to make tea blends. The flavor is just as potent!
- Dry out extra herbs and make dried herbs instead of tossing away any excess.
Pro-tip: Make your own stock! Whether that’s veggie stock or chicken stock, homemade is way better than store-bought.
There you have it. Happy Growing and Happy New Year!
