On the first and third Monday of every month on her YouTube channel, food trends expert Dana McCauley gives us the lowdown on the trends that are happening in the food world. Stop by FBC on following Tuesdays for a little extra insight from Dana on how you as a food blogger can use this information in your work!

Pumpkin seeds three ways courtesy of Shutterstock
This week’s Food Trends TV segments highlights a small but gratifying trend for those of us who live with or love people with nut allergies. Seeds, packed with nutrients and diverse in texture and shape, are the new darling of food product developers and chefs alike. The trend is rooted in practicality. As awareness of nut allergies has risen and our understanding of the fibre, protein and other wonderful nutrients (such as minerals and healthier fatty acids) found in seeds has grown, food professionals are finding ways to satisfy the widespread love of nuts with ingredients that are less likely to cause allergic reactions. The good news? Consumers love it – especially parents of school aged kids who are not permitted to include any nuts in their children’s lunch bags.
The take away for food bloggers and food writers is that we should start creating variations or substitutions in our recipes so that they are easily adapted to seed lovers and allergy sufferers alike. It may mean an extra recipe test or two, but the results are likely to be deliciously satisfying on all levels!
Since all food bloggers are also consumers, tell me about how your interest and use of seeds has evolved in the last couple of years.
More Reading?
Are you working around a nut allergy? Be sure to check out our Allergy Friendly Recipe Remixes where we take popular dishes and and show you how to adapt them to be nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free and even vegetarian or vegan!
Dana McCauley is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive experience in all facets of the food business and a track record of taking ideas from concept to kitchen to commercialization. Dana is also the Executive Director of Food Starter, a food business incubator that helps entrepreneurs bring new food products to market. Dana is also a recovering cookbook author, blogger and food trend correspondent for morning shows such as Breakfast Television and Canada AM. Follow @DanaMccauley on Twitter for daily insights about her dog and for breaking news about what she’s making for dinner.
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