Newswire Today reports this story from thefoodpeople, a group from the UK who predict trends in food.  They have come up with a couple of interesting lists for 2009 - obviously influenced by the already important sustainable trends and our ever-dwindling economy.

The "Big Food Trends" list:

• Comfort food - Incorporating retro, nostalgia, feel good foods of the past, treats;
• Scratch cooking and home baking - More cooking from raw ingredients, cheaper cuts, also more cakes, tray bakes, sponges not just because it saves money but also it makes you feel great;
• British - British will continue to be big - British regions, traditions, ingredients, breeds and species;
• Less protein - Less protein on plates, it is expensive and also there are so many possibilities with vegetable accompaniments;
• Head to tail - Eating more of our fish, meat and vegetables and throwing less away, using new and forgotten recipes to utilise more of the animal, a principle that can be applied to anything;
• Sustainable meat and fish - More about new varieties and those that we should be eating more of - rock fish, gurnard, flounder, mahi mahi;
• Changing drinking habits - Drinking at home rather than out in pubs and restaurants, also big in drink is beer, cider and cocktails;
• Thirst for food skills and knowledge - More entry level cookery schools teaching the basics and how to get the best out of what you have;
• Restaurant and farm alliances - Savvy restaurateurs teaming up with farms to bring the consumers food that they know and trust;
• More miniaturisation - More things getting smaller - greater choice, less cost, more variety, more cute factor;
• More customisation - More brands and businesses offering consumers the opportunity to customise or tailor their goods, products or services;
• Health - Instant nutrition, ultra low calorie, health through natural choices.

My favorite is the "head-to-tail" eating- very smart in this economy, and I love to say it too!

Their other list is of "Emerging Food Trends." My favorites on that list are "beauty foods" - foods that enhance your inner and outer beauty, and "free foods" - including growing your own and foraging. Read the rest of the list here.