Nourish the Thought

Food Tool for the Week: Superfoods

Nebulous Definition -
The term “superfood” has no governmental mandates, but is loosely defined as a natural food product that is “power packed” – meaning it is dense in nutrients, is loaded with antioxidants and has a higher level of associated health benefits.

Superfoods! It’s a wonderful word, full of promise and delight. Heck, even Oprah & Forbes have a top 10 superfoods list, engaging consumers with information on foods they suggest for optimum healthy lifestyles. Saying it sounds good for you and makes you feel healthier and more empowered with every breath. The benefits are endless, but the perception is legendary. How does that perception translate into strategic positioning for your clients, as the word itself is somewhat nebulous and has been built on perception? Can anyone raise their hand and truly say why a particular superfood should be part of a consumer’s healthy lifestyle, or better yet – an integral ingredient in a client’s new product launch (millions of $ at stake by the way, no pressure). Point is, the conceptual point of difference is always more difficult and expensive to create.

Superfoods! It’s a wonderful word, full of promise and delight. Heck, even Oprah & Forbes have a top 10 superfoods list, engaging consumers with information on foods they suggest for optimum healthy lifestyles. Saying it sounds good for you and makes you feel healthier and more empowered with every breath. The benefits are endless, but the perception is legendary. How does that perception translate into strategic positioning for your clients, as the word itself is somewhat nebulous and has been built on perception? Can anyone raise their hand and truly say why a particular superfood should be part of a consumer’s healthy lifestyle, or better yet – an integral ingredient in a client’s new product launch (millions of $ at stake by the way, no pressure). Point is, the conceptual point of difference is always more difficult and expensive to create.

How it Works
Have you ever wondered why an ingredient can shift so fast; one day being touted as a superfood then the next being unceremoniously replaced. Example being, red tea is now to white tea what white tea was to green tea. What’s next – translucent tea? What makes pomegranate suddenly show up in all forms, at every tradeshow booth, on every retail shelf and all segments of foodservice?
Today’s lifestyles are fast paced & high charged and thus, this progression has accelerated and evolved from the traditional snowball effect (emerging _ becoming popular _ mainstream). It is more like the push-pull effect. Push (manufacturer pushing it into market and taking a chance) or pull (consumer absorbing & reacting to media venues which can pull an idea, good or bad, to consumer light and give a food massclusivity). The once traditional snowball effect is melting, moving at hyper speed, pulled through the market by consumers consuming the media and manufacturers taking a leap of faith and pushing their next big idea.

Roadmap for Success
The net is that you could take each superfood on its’ individual merit and determine what, if any, are the best intersection points and applications for your clients. Look past the clever marketing when talking about superfoods with your clients and try not to over reference this pervasive word. Look at each touted superfood for its link to what consumer connection points it can produce - than identify, synthesize and infuse them at the right time.

You can also simply mine the overarching benefits that the superfood evokes and look at it from a macro sense, implementing actionable ideas into menus, new product innovation, strategy statements, etc. Example: It is good to know that dark chocolate contains ingredients beneficial to health and is resonating strongly with consumers. However, it does not necessarily mean you should eat more chocolate products. Chocolate bars and candies are often high in fat, sugar and calories. Moderation is always the key. Thus, dark chocolate could also be looked at as a macro marketable component to a beverage, marinade, rub or savory application versus as the featured ingredient in a typical dessert. Think outside the box, and again, look for the subtle tie in for the right product, at the right time.

Hopefully, that in order to be deemed as truly super, a food will have to show proven merit prior to making the list and maintain beneficial longevity over a designated period of tested time.

Topline Snapshot
Previous superfoods: garlic, broccoli, dark greens, salmon, cranberries, raspberries, yogurt, chile peppers, tomatoes, avocados, sweet potatoes, nut varieties, cinnamon, ginger, soy, whole grains and oatmeal to name a few.

Current top superfood mentions making headlines are: pomegranate, blueberries, citrus, acai, goji berry, noni, flaxseed, dark chocolate and red tea.

• Pomegranate
       - Definition: A nearly round, 2-1/2 to 5 in. wide fruit. The tough, leathery skin or rind is typically yellow overlaid with light or deep pink or rich red. The interior is separated by membranous walls and white, spongy, bitter tissue into compartments packed with sacs filled with sweetly acid, juicy, red, pink or whitish pulp or aril.
       - Benefits: Pomegranate has quickly become one of the most talked about super foods in the past two years. Pomegranate fruits contain beneficial antioxidants. Pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or tea. Preliminary evidence suggested that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol.
• Blueberries
       - Definition: Ya gotta be familiar with this one
       - Benefits: Fresh berries are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients (plant nutrients). Packed with antioxidant phytonutrients, blueberries neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. The blue-red pigments found in blueberries, improve the integrity of support structures in the veins and entire vascular system.
• Citrus
       - Citrus is the most widely grown crop in the world. That factoid alone denotes that consumers are familiar with and responding to citrus, driving frequent consumption points. Citrus pairs well with all ethnic cuisines.
       - Meyer lemon } seems to be more drilled down with specialized varieties
       - Benefits: There is considerable evidence that citrus foods may help reduce the risk, or retard the progression, of several serious diseases and disorders. It is well established that citrus and citrus products are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber that are essential for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.
• Acai
       - Definition: The Acai (ah-Sa-ee) fruit is often referred to as the Super Berry. This delicious dark fruit is an all natural energy berry from the Amazon acai palm. It has the highest ranking orac score (orac being the measure of the antioxidant power) of any fruit in the world with by far the highest antioxidant values of any fruit known!
       - Benefits: This little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world. Greater energy/stamina, boost your immune system, improved mental focus, gives you energy, helps maintain a healthy cardio vascular system, one of the richest nutritive fruits in the world, very low sugar content for a fruit, aids in cleansing and detoxifying your body, improved digestion, helps you to sleep better.
• Goji berry
       - Definition: The Goji Berry is a berry that grows on the plant Lycium Barbarum, which is native to certain remote regions of China, Tibet, and Mongolia.
       - Benefits: Scientists have found the Goji berry to be one of the most nutritionally dense fruits on earth. Goji berry contains 500 times more
  vitamin C by weight than an orange. Goji berries contain over 20 trace minerals such as iron, copper, calcium and zinc. Goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids, including beta–carotene (with more beta carotene than even carrots), in the world.
• Noni
       - Definition: Noni is a small, flowering shrub native to the Pacific islands, Polynesia, Asia, and Australia. It grows to a height of up to 10 feet high, and the leaves are dark green and oval shaped. The flower heads grow to become mature yellow fruit that have a strong odor.
       - Benefits: supports the immune system, which strengthens the body’s natural ability to fight disease and infection. Supports proper digestion, which means you absorb more nutrients at the cellular level. You may notice increased mental clarity, increase attention span, and greater physical performance levels.
• Flaxseed
       - Definition: Flaxseeds are the hard, tiny seeds of the flax plant, which has been widely used for thousands of years as a source of food and clothing.
       - Benefits: Derived from the plant source, flax seed offers a vegetarian alternative to provide omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seed has been shown in many studies to offer heart-healthy benefits. In addition, flax seed also contains other beneficial ingredients such as fiber and lignan, a type of antioxidant phytoestrogen. Research revealed that lignan in flax seed shows promising results in fighting disease, particularly cancer. Studies show that lignan possesses anti-cancer properties. Results were most promising in breast cancer prevention.
• Dark Chocolate
       - Definition: Chocolate without milk as an additive. It is sometimes called "plain chocolate". The U.S. government calls this "sweet chocolate", and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids.
       - Benefits: Quite a few studies have found that chocolate contains flavonoids, a type of polyphenol antioxidant. Research has demonstrated that the quality and quantity of antioxidants in chocolate is relatively high when compared to other high-antioxidant foods. Cocoa powder ranks the highest of the chocolate products, followed by dark chocolate and milk chocolate. According to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, dark chocolate contains about eight times the polyphenol antioxidants found in strawberries.
• Red Tea
       - Definition: Technically, Rooibos is not a true tea. It comes from the plant Aspalathus linearis, rather than the Camellia plants that produce traditional teas. The name Rooibos comes from the Afrikaans word for 'red bush'. The Rooibos plant is a small shrubby bush that only grows in South Africa. The leaves are green, but turn the characteristic red after fermentation.
       - Benefits: It is naturally caffeine free and naturally very healthful. Rooibos tea is a distinctive red color and its taste is also unique with a very sweet and slightly nutty flavor. Its delicious taste and numerous healthful qualities have helped Rooibos become a popular tea all over the world. It is still fairly 'new' but more and more people are coming to love this unique red tea.

Your food tools at work for you.

How it Works
Have you ever wondered why an ingredient can shift so fast; one day being touted as a superfood then the next being unceremoniously replaced. Example being, red tea is now to white tea what white tea was to green tea. What’s next – translucent tea? What makes pomegranate suddenly show up in all forms, at every tradeshow booth, on every retail shelf and all segments of foodservice?
Today’s lifestyles are fast paced & high charged and thus, this progression has accelerated and evolved from the traditional snowball effect (emerging _ becoming popular _ mainstream). It is more like the push-pull effect. Push (manufacturer pushing it into market and taking a chance) or pull (consumer absorbing & reacting to media venues which can pull an idea, good or bad, to consumer light and give a food massclusivity). The once traditional snowball effect is melting, moving at hyper speed, pulled through the market by consumers consuming the media and manufacturers taking a leap of faith and pushing their next big idea.

Roadmap for Success
The net is that you could take each superfood on its’ individual merit and determine what, if any, are the best intersection points and applications for your clients. Look past the clever marketing when talking about superfoods with your clients and try not to over reference this pervasive word. Look at each touted superfood for its link to what consumer connection points it can produce - than identify, synthesize and infuse them at the right time.

You can also simply mine the overarching benefits that the superfood evokes and look at it from a macro sense, implementing actionable ideas into menus, new product innovation, strategy statements, etc. Example: It is good to know that dark chocolate contains ingredients beneficial to health and is resonating strongly with consumers. However, it does not necessarily mean you should eat more chocolate products. Chocolate bars and candies are often high in fat, sugar and calories. Moderation is always the key. Thus, dark chocolate could also be looked at as a macro marketable component to a beverage, marinade, rub or savory application versus as the featured ingredient in a typical dessert. Think outside the box, and again, look for the subtle tie in for the right product, at the right time.

Hopefully, that in order to be deemed as truly super, a food will have to show proven merit prior to making the list and maintain beneficial longevity over a designated period of tested time.

Topline Snapshot
Previous superfoods: garlic, broccoli, dark greens, salmon, cranberries, raspberries, yogurt, chile peppers, tomatoes, avocados, sweet potatoes, nut varieties, cinnamon, ginger, soy, whole grains and oatmeal to name a few.

Current top superfood mentions making headlines are: pomegranate, blueberries, citrus, acai, goji berry, noni, flaxseed, dark chocolate and red tea.

Superfoods! It’s a wonderful word, full of promise and delight. Heck, even Oprah & Forbes have a top 10 superfoods list, engaging consumers with information on foods they suggest for optimum healthy lifestyles. Saying it sounds good for you and makes you feel healthier and more empowered with every breath. The benefits are endless, but the perception is legendary. How does that perception translate into strategic positioning for your clients, as the word itself is somewhat nebulous and has been built on perception? Can anyone raise their hand and truly say why a particular superfood should be part of a consumer’s healthy lifestyle, or better yet – an integral ingredient in a client’s new product launch (millions of $ at stake by the way, no pressure). Point is, the conceptual point of difference is always more difficult and expensive to create.