It’s no secret that The Glow Wellness is focused on health and wellness. And most of the time that means healthy food. But if you know me you know I am a major foodie. And if there is one thing that I truly believe in it’s balance. I love the way my friends at Sakara put it when they say “joy is a nutrient”. While I strive to live most days as healthy as I can, I love to indulge, and experience food (and drink) of all kinds. We only have one trip around the sun folks!

I was fortunate to attend the 2019 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival this year which occurred in late September. The event, presented by PepsiCo, is a multi-day event highlighting the area’s rich culinary landscape and showcasing innovation in the food and beverage industries. It also benefits multiple charitable organizations. I went into it expecting some serious gluttony. Here’s the thing that was most surprising. Most of the food trends I enjoyed were actually quite healthy. In that vein, I wanted to share the top food trends I witnessed at the show this year. To learn all about the event and future events visit the GWFF website.

Plant-Focused / Plant- Forward

One thing this veggie loving girl was excited to see? Lots of plant-based, veggie-forward dishes. Falafel Taco featured plant-based tacos. Green and Tonic had plant based dishes and drinks. As did The Little Beet Table. Mike’s Organic was a big hit at the show with their gorgeous veggie displays (and their innovative service bringing the freshest local and organic produce and meats to your door). Beyond Meat was there with their plant-based burgers. Pressed Juicery kept everyone healthy with detox and immunity shots. Even plant-based cocktails were featured (in the form of healthy bloody mary mixers from Toma).

In the Raw

Raw fish was also prominently featured in the form of tacos, crudo, sashmi and ceviche. Most notable was Fjord Fish Market and Catering – a crowd fav with their crudo features. Shell & Bones also featured their beautiful seafood.

Más tacos!

Innovative tacos were highlighted in the South of the Border tent. This trend isn’t going anywhere soon. And this tent was definitely the hit of the show with a constant stream of people coming in for unique and beautiful tacos alongside inspired and innovative cocktails. Local favorite Bartaco also featured a raw fish taco highlighting some major show food trends.

Up the Acid

Acid is where its at. We all know salt is key to flavorful cuisine but what I experienced when I tasted most of the samples from the areas top chefs was this – plenty of acid, whether it be in the form of citrus, vinegar or brine. How can you apply this principal at home? Try adding more acid to your foods when cooking. You’d be surprised how much flavor it adds, and in a very healthy way.

Some other takeaways…

As a gal with a major sweet tooth I was most surprised to see there were very little sweets showcased at the event. Could this be a sign of what’s to come in the culinary world? I think all in all people are favoring more savory to sweet. I could be reaching but it could also be a nod to the more health conscious movement of eliminating excess sugars.

Another pleasant surprise – most tents and tastings were gluten-friendly. As someone who is gluten-intolerant I was expecting having to navigate around the tastings quite carefully. I was so happy to report that almost 90% of the foods sampled were gluten-free at the event.

Food trends aside, this event is a can’t miss; get on the list now for next year. It also happens to be an event you can feel really great about attending as it benefits multiple charities; my favorite being Food Rescue US.

Food Rescue US is committed to ending American food insecurity by directly transferring fresh, usable food that would have otherwise been thrown away from grocers, restaurants, and other food industry sources to food insecure families throughout the U.S.  As a food lover this is a cause we can all get behind, because wasted food just doesn’t make sense. I just love this cause.

See you next year!

The best discounts on food and wine can be found here