COVID-19 Ingredion Regional Insights Series - Staying healthy

At the end of 2019 no one forecasted Covid-19 and since then many countries have experienced some form of panic grocery buying and changes in the foodservice channel. As your partner, we tasked ourselves to look at how the dominant trends would play out in the post panic stage. Would trends be paused, become irrelevant or hastened?

We identified key ideas per trend that you can tap into for growth. If you are keen to know what solutions Ingredion can offer and how we can help shorten your development time, speak with our team today.

Staying healthy - Relieving stress and anxiety

COVID-19 has created a state of emergency for the mental wellbeing in society. People staying at home for extended amounts of time, with disrupted social connections, juggling children with work and worrying about the virus experience tension which is unhealthy on a prolonged basis. People on the frontlines providing medical care or enforcing movement restrictions have feedback burnout, compassion fatigue and trauma.

Consumers will thus be looking for ways to actively manage their mental stress and stay calm.  Here are some ideas to discuss with our customers.

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Milk Alternatives

As COVID-19 heightens fear about animal-based products – virus, medication and hormones – plant based alternatives have come into the spotlight due to their clean and safe position.  The trend towards vegetarian or flexitarian diets was gaining momentum before COVID-19 and looks set to grow.

Ingredion has just entered a commercial agreement to distribute Quinoa flour and pregel flour globally. Nutritious quinoa is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids needed, high in fibre, with Calcium, Iron, Folate and vitamin Bs.

Cakes

Practicing self care is important to relieve feelings of anxiety. Getting quality sleep is one of the best ways to treat yourself. It’s been recommended that we keep to a normal bedtime every night. But did you know that the type of food we eat before going to bed affects our quality of sleep?  Taking sugary foods right before bedtime is linked to restless and disrupted sleep. Hence, reaching for sweet desserts like cakes as late night snacks may not be the best choice if you’re after a deep sleep. 

Sweet biscuits

Being confined at home is actually the perfect moment to organize family activities together with kids.  During this time, it's important for children to remain physically and mentally active to avoid becoming anxious, bored and sedentary.  Whether they are bonding over video games, gardening or arts and crafts projects, it's never complete without a few nibbles. Kids certainly won't say to indulgent biscuits while having fun. Treats that come in small, bite-sized packs are perfect so as not to overindulge.

Vitamin drinks

Vitamins and minerals help the body cope with anxiety, and vitaminized drinks will appeal to the masses during and after the stress of COVID-19 being a more natural and gentle than popping pills. The drinking experience will be mild with less intense sugar peaks.

•       Vitamin B1 helps to balance blood sugar levels, Vitamin B5 supports the adrenal glands1 and Vitamin C help to reduce anxiety2

•       Sweetened with only natural Stevia

Processed Seafood

With gyms and fitness studios temporarily closed, some people attempt to preserve a sense of normalcy through home exercises.  Thanks to the rising number of virtual at-home workout options, staying physically active with Pilates, spinning classes, or even bodyweights is no longer far fetched.  Eating foods with protein such as tuna after your exercise may help in building new muscles and also prevent breakdown of existing ones.  That’s optimizing muscle health.

RTD Asian tea

Traditional Chinese medicine explain how body “heat” leads to stress, and prescribes “cooling” foods to restore balance. Herbs, such as chamomile, chrysanthemum, jasmine are commonly used for calming and reducing stress-related insomnia, anxiety or anger.3 These ingredients are traditionally mixed with tea or steeped in water as a “tea”. 

The idea of balance is found in other traditional Asian health philosophies as well. In tropical regions like Southeast Asia and India, the bitter astringency of tea is balanced with sugar to provide refreshment in warm humid climates. Natural sweeteners are the solution to keep them naturally healthy.

Source:

1. https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/healthandlife/naturalmedicine/natural-health-vitamins-to-help-with-anxiety-and-panic-attacks-400334.html
2. https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=pjbs.2015.11.18
3. https://teafloor.com/blog/morning-tea-to-boost-your-immune-system/