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The report compiled insights from over 190 visionary thought leaders including celebrity chefs, influential bloggers, and dedicated nutritionists, highlighting the key trends that are set to revolutionize monsoon snacking.

Key Trends of Monsoon Snacking are:

Air-Fried Options on the Rise: A 8.5% of experts favor non-fried options this monsoon season. The trend is shifting towards baked or air-fried alternatives. While traditional favourites like vada pav and samosa continue to be enjoyed occasionally, healthier versions such as baked samosas are gaining popularity. Nut-enriched and non-fried/air-fried options deliver the same crispiness without the high-fat content, aligning with the global movement towards healthier eating.

Nutritionally Fortified Options:  78.8% of experts predict a rise in nutritionally fortified snacks. With the shift towards work-from-home and hybrid work models, snacks have become an integral part of meal plans. People are now more inclined towards healthier ingredients like makhana and millets, and consciously choosing baked and puffed options over deep-fried ones. These snacks offer a satisfying crunch with a guilt-free boost of nutrients.

Ready-to-Eat Snacks Solutions:  With 51.9% of experts predicting increased popularity, ready-to-eat snacks are the perfect dish for on-the-go individuals. These convenient options cater to busy lifestyles, providing quick, nutritious choices like protein bars, energy bites, and pre-packaged fruit and nut mixes. For everyone who prefers classic tastes, ready-to-eat frozen snacks like air-fried nuggets and millet patties are crafted to meet diverse dietary needs, ensuring snacking is accessible anytime, anywhere.

Traditional Flavours and Textures: Nostalgia plays a significant role, with 76.9% of experts favouring traditional flavours and textures. While parents strive to introduce healthy snacks to their children, a balance is often struck with familiar, comforting options. Traditional snacks, enriched with healthy nutrients and prepared using low-fat or baked methods, will continue to grow in popularity. These snacks provide a sense of nostalgia while adhering to healthier cooking practices.

Commenting on monsoon snacking trends, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, Managing Director of A Perfect Bite Consulting and Editor of the annual Godrej Food Trends Report, said, ‘‘The insights from the Godrej Food Trends Report 2024 reveal intriguing shifts in snacking preferences, emphasizing a desire for healthier options without compromising on taste. This includes a notable preference for non-fried snacks, a growing interest in nutritionally fortified options, and a continued love for traditional flavours. Embracing these trends allows us to fully enjoy the monsoon season while also caring for our health. It’s about relishing the joy of snacking while making mindful choices that nourish our bodies. Let’s celebrate the monsoon with a delicious array of snacks that cater to both our indulgence and well-being.’’

For more insight and detailed report, download Godrej Food Trends Report 2024 at www.vikhrolicucina.com

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Time-Saving Convenience: Frozen foods offer unparalleled convenience, allowing parents to bypass peeling, chopping, and extensive cooking. A freezer stocked with a variety of frozen ingredients means a meal is always just minutes away, freeing up precious time for family activities or a few moments of well-deserved rest. According to the Godrej Yummiez report, one in every 4 Indians prefers frozen snacks since they can have more leisure time.

Nutritional Value: Contrary to popular belief, frozen produce can retain more nutrients than their fresh counterparts, which often lose nutritional value during transportation and storage. Freezing preserves vitamins and minerals, ensuring that your family receives the benefits of fresh produce year-round. For example, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that certain frozen vegetables, such as green beans and peas, can have higher levels of vitamins and nutrients compared to fresh ones, which can lose nutrients during transportation and storage.

Variety and Versatility: The array of frozen foods available today is staggering, ranging from exotic fruits and vegetables to complete entrees catering to various dietary preferences. In India, you can find a wide selection of frozen vegetables like green peas, mixed vegetables, sweet corn, broccoli, and cauliflower. As for frozen fruits, there are options such as mango, pineapple, pomegranate, and mixed fruit. This versatility ensures that even the pickiest eaters can find something to their liking, making mealtime a breeze.

 Cost-Effectiveness: When comparing the cost of frozen foods with fresh produce and dining out, the economic benefits become clear. Frozen foods often come in bulk and at a lower price point, without sacrificing quality or flavour, making them a smart choice for budget-conscious families.

Long Shelf Life: The extended shelf life of frozen foods means less food waste and more money saved. By keeping a well-organized freezer, parents can ensure they have ingredients on hand, reducing the number of emergency grocery runs and impulse takeout orders.

Meal Planning Made Simple: With frozen foods, meal planning becomes a simple task. Parents can plan out the week’s meals, knowing that the ingredients will remain fresh until needed. This not only streamlines grocery shopping but also meal prep, making the daily question of “What’s for dinner?” a thing of the past.

Kid-Friendly Choices: From classic favourites like French Fries and Chicken Nuggets to more adventurous options like Crispy Veg Sticks and Cheese Corn Nuggets, the frozen aisle is full of kid-friendly choices. These options are not only tasty but also quick to prepare, making them perfect for those hectic evenings.

 Balancing Work and Family: Ultimately, frozen foods can help working parents find a better balance between their professional responsibilities and family life. By reducing the time spent on meal preparation, parents can focus on what truly matters: spending quality time with their loved ones.

As we’ve seen, frozen foods are much more than a mere convenience; they are a practical solution for the modern family. They offer nutritional value, variety, cost savings, and ease of use, all of which contribute to a happier, healthier family dynamic. For working parents looking to simplify their lives and nourish their families, frozen foods are indeed a worthy addition to the weekly menu.

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Gone are the days when frozen or ready-to-eat foods were all about artificial preservatives and additives. Today, they are becoming one of the most preferred meal options in urban households, owing to their convenience and also because they now come packed with a lot of health benefits.

Specifically in India, the Ready-to-Eat food market stood at $261 million in 2017 and it is projected to accelerate to $647 million by 2023 at a CAGR of more than 16 per cent during the years 2018-2023. According to Statista, the Ready-to-Eat food market in India is projected to grow by 9.23% from 2024-2028, resulting in a market volume of US$102.80bn (102,800 million) in 2028.

With the advent of technology and research in the nutrition and wellness sector, infinite techniques for healthy food preservation have emerged and are being implemented across the globe. Some of these key techniques include:

Blanching to Inactivate Enzymes: The foremost step towards preserving frozen food is blanching fruits and vegetables to inactivate enzymes and yeasts that can gradually cause food spoilage. This helps to avoid any vitamin or mineral loss in the frozen foods.

Making Use of the Retorting Technology: Retorting is a go-to technology these days in the food processing industry. It refers to the thermal processing of low acidic foods, which are prone to microbial spoilage in sealed containers. Retorting helps to extend the frozen food’s shelf life and obtain commercial sterilization by application of heat.

Storing Frozen Foods at the Most Optimum Temperature: In order to sustain the micronutrients of foods and avoid freezer burn, frozen foods are stored at zero Fahrenheit or lower temperatures. Research shows that if stored efficiently, frozen or ready-to-eat foods can preserve more nutrients than recently cooked food items.

Packaging Using Vacuum Sealers: Another game changer in the frozen food industry is vacuum packaging. Various vacuum packaging machines and vacuum sealers are now being used to remove air while storing the frozen foods. This helps to extend the storage time of refrigerated, frozen, and dried foods. In this oxygen-free environment, the spoilage bacteria are unable to multiply, which ultimately helps to maintain the quality and freshness of the stored food in long run.

Maintaining the Appropriate Freezer Storage Time: Keeping in view the high-quality frozen food standards, all the ready to eat frozen foods come with a recommended storage or expiry date, which must be kept in mind before consuming the same. This helps to make certain that the nutrient retention in the food is high and that it is healthy to consume.

Over the years, there has been a paradigm shift in the recognition of frozen and ready-to-eat foods. These foods have sustained the test of time, only to prove that they are actually a healthy, safe and convenient food option for modern households, and these avant-garde techniques to preserve frozen foods stand testament to the same.

The pioneers of the frozen food industry are also seen to be experimenting with innovative recipes for vegans, pollotarians and pescetarians, in addition to the usual vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There is a myriad range of frozen food meals and snacks available in the market, which is often tailor-made as per the tastes and preferences of everyone alike.

To sum up, it would be safe to claim that the frozen food industry has come a long way in embracing new techniques for healthy food preservation while keeping the ability to satiate different taste palates intact. Going ahead, the frozen food industry is expected to flourish further by leaps and bounds this year and beyond.

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