Dining in tops food trends in the US

Dining in tops food trends in the US Today's diners put home cooking as the number one meal of choice, according to the latest Top 10 Food Trends in the US, published in Food Technology magazine.

The magazine is published by the international scientific society Institute of Food Technologists and reported that health and indulgence are both important considerations when picking a restaurant, as fewer people are eating on the go or in their car.

According to Food Technology, the Top 10 Food Trends in 2007 are:

1. Dining in: economic pressures are among the factors causing Americans to eat and cook more dishes at home.
2. Food talk: word of mouth has become a key factor in the success of new food products. Celebrity chefs are encouraging more adventurous cooking.
3. Form and function: reducing the number of steps in food preparation is a sure-fire way to increase sales.
4. Sense appeal: texture, crispness, and crunch are becoming more important.
5. Kidding around: the number of young children is growing and apparently so are their palates, with gourmet baby food becoming more prevalent.
6. Doing without: avoidance behaviour is accelerating, with customers steering clear of products with undesirable ingredients.
7. Local motions: fresh is the most desired attribute, but foods marketed as local, seasonal, hand-made, natural, or similar are increasing.
8. Seriously healthy: the desire to reduce the risk of developing health conditions has a lot of influence on meal decisions.
9. Next-generation beverages: drinks set the pace in US sales and innovation.
10. Snacking and sharing: light meals, after-school socialising and other influences make snacks and mini-meals a hot opportunity for restaurants.