My food predictions for 2023
What does the world of food look like in 2023? Will we outsource our cooking to meal kit companies, pre-made meals, takeaway and anything that takes the onus off of us? Or will we get back to the old school cooking techniques that once supported our families for generations before us like and learn to pickle, preserve and cook simple meals to save our money. This post is my take on how I see the world of food change in 2023.
Watch: My food predictions for 2023
Read: My food predictions for 2023
As we’ve seen in 2022. We’ve had extreme wet weather events which have caused supply issues. And many other factors, including inflation which has resulted in produce prices going up significantly. I see 2023 going in 2 directions, which I’ve broken out into 4 groups.
1. The group that will outsource
They’ll feel like their life speeds up even more. They’ll spend more on meal kits, takeaway and pre-made meals. They’ll fork out more and more cash to do this.
While there’s nothing wrong with this option. I always say, it’s better to make the choice rather than pretend you don’t have one. But, the reason this group *thinks* they’re too busy is because they lack the skills to make cooking simple and achievable. The busier they feel, the more they’ll ‘forget’ how to cook and drive a bigger wedge in their knowledge. Making cooking feel hard and unachievable with their busy life. At the end of the day.
- It takes 5 minutes to prepare a roast chicken
- It takes 10 minutes to chop up 2 trays of vegetables
- It takes 5 minutes to prepare a slow cooker meal
And while that may only seem like one meal out of the 1,095 you’re going to cook this year. Cooking can be easy when you plan well, cook simple meals and work on bringing your skills up to scratch.
2. The group that will double down on cooking
These people might be feeling the pinch of expenses rising. Or they’re simply ready to make a change once and for all.
They’ll get thriftier with their shopping.
They’ll learn about the seasons and take advantage of buying produce in season which will taste better, stay fresher and save them money.
They’ll collate master lists of recipes so they always have a reference point to come back to.
They’ll make simpler meals that taste great.
And get creative with meat and 3 veg meals like they grew up on.
They’ll manage their pantry better, monitor their fridge more and use their freezer how it’s made to be used.
They’ll take advantage of local delivery services for veggies and meat. Because they’ll realise a huge chunk of energy is being used on getting the ingredients into their home.
They’ll make art out of leftovers or get over it and eat them ‘as is’. Either way, leftovers is making a comeback in a big way.
They’ll get rid of the belief that their food needs to be fancy and embrace simplicity. Not because they’re boring cooks. But because they see it as necessary.
If you’re in this group you may be interested in Ditch the Recipes. It’s a cooking club where you’ll save your time and money by ditching recipes. So you can whip up meals with what’s in your fridge and pantry. Sound exciting? Learn more here.
3. The group that will take home cooking to the next level
This group will double down on cooking and add in old school techniques such as pickling, preserving and make a lot more food from scratch.
They’ll use these old school techniques to save more money and because they’ve realised it just makes sense.
They’ll use cooking as a method to slow the pace of their life down.
They’ll move from spending money on convenience options to ‘save time’. And embrace in the doing because it’s within these activities that life exists. They’ll make more:
Where they once bought, they’ll now make.
4. This group will stay exactly the same
They’re an offshoot of group 1 – the outsourcers. But they don’t have the budget. So they’ll do nothing.
They’ll pretend it’s normal to feel busy. And are sitting more in the camp of feeling like they don’t have a choice.
They’ll pretend it’s normal to not know how to roast a chicken, make soups or cook big batches of rice or know how to feed yourself properly.
They’ll dabble in cooking.
They probably shop at Aldi (no diss to Aldi) or buy budget everything. And they think they’re saving money. Yet it’s likely they’re wasting a lot of money due to a lack of knowledge. Which is heartbreaking because they try so hard.
They buy produce at any old time of the year without a thought about seasons.
They buy $8 cauliflowers and don’t think another thought until they’ve seen their grocery bill. But they can work out WHY and WHAT they’re spending more on.
If you’re in this group and you don’t want to stay here. A good place to start would be my free guide: Save Money on Your Grocery Bill or Get Your Shit Together or Kitchen Time Hacks series.
So tell me. Which group are you in? And/or which group do you want to be in?
