A drink with alcohol? That's so 2020...

Whether you're working on the perfect body, cook vegetarian food more often or are consciously cutting back on sugars; We are all involved in making healthier choices in our own way than people were about twenty years ago. Healthy and conscious living is a development that has not stopped with the pursuit of a smoke-free generation, but continues to evolve. Which healthy trends do we spot in 2021 and what do these trends say about our view of alcohol in the future?

A trend is a major change or development that has a major impact on us, our self-image, our behavior and on life around us. Trends ensure that our needs change (slowly) in order to eventually change something fundamental in our way of life. A trend that has been going on for many years and has secretly already caused many changes, is the trend that we want to live healthier.

In the sixties cigarettes were still on the table in glasses, now we have developed a completely different view of smoking. And ten years ago if you were a vegetarian, you had the choice between tofu or a cheese burger, now the choice in terms of vegetarian substitutes is huge. We eat more consciously, more sustainably and our awareness is still growing. Even when it comes to our alcohol intake. Because let's be honest: does alcohol still fit within our current lifestyle? Or are we on the brink of a new, lasting trend?

Five trends in the field of healthier and more conscious living:

1. Healthy food trend

The healthy food trend keeps going. Under the influence of social media in particular, we are increasingly aware of the effect of (un)healthy food and drink on our health and appearance. Research by ingredient supplier Kerry shows that in the future we will also focus more on the relationship between healthy eating and our mental health.

2. Need for transparency

Within the trend to live healthier, we also like to make more sustainable choices. In order to be able to make these, there is an increasing need for transparency about products: where does the product come from, what is in it and to what extent is it sustainably produced? Trend watchers see an increasing interest in local and seasonal products. We also make vegetarian or vegan choices more often.

3. Less food waste

The Nutrition Center states that there will be more smart solutions that will help us throw away less food. For example, we will be supersizing less and the supply of mini-vegetables will increase. There will also be new apps and tools to combat waste.

4. Drink less sugars

From the healthy food trend is also a more conscious consumption in the field of drinks. Millennials in particular are increasingly opting for drinks that contain less or no sugar. Based on the idea that a 0.0 beer contains only 69 calories and a can of Coke, for example, 139 calories, the non-alcoholic beer can become a more attractive alternative to soft drinks.

5. Low and No alcohol,

Various sources, including the Nutrition Center and the beverage industry, spot this trend: more and more people want to (temporarily) reduce or stop drinking alcohol. The growing sales figures of non-alcoholic beers and wines support this trend. Sales of non-alcoholic beer, for example, have only increased over the past ten years. In January 2020 (Dry January), 7.7% of the total beer turnover consisted of alcohol-free beer. Sales of non-alcoholic wine doubled to a total turnover of 2%. While these numbers now seem to represent only a small percentage of the total beer and wine market, there is a clear trend: drinking little to no alcohol is becoming an increasingly conscious choice. The fact that beer and wine brewers are flocking to this market underlines this trend.

As the above trends show, our ideas about a healthy lifestyle are constantly changing. Because let's be honest: did you participate in IkPas 10 years ago? Doing well!