Should You Be Joining The Free-From Food Boom?
Gwyneth Paltrow is one famous face who reportedly follows a gluten-free diet. [Photo: Instagram/Gwyneth Paltrow]
#glutenfree #sugarfree and #wheatfree. The hashtag staples of many an insta-foodie. But recent research has revealed this free-from way of living is by no way fringe behaviour. Blame Gwyneth et al, but the “worried well” are fuelling a boom in celebrity-inspired “free from” food consumption and it looks like it’s here to stay.
Inspired by wheat-free advocates such as Victoria Beckham, gluten-free go-to’s like Gwynnie and go vegan-ites like Beyonce, we’re buying free-from products like they’re going out of fashion and not always because we’ve got allergies.
A survey by Mintel has revealed a third of Britons have bought or ate the free-from foods in the past six months. Over a fifth are choosing gluten-free products, just under a fifth opted for dairy substitutes such as soya cheese and a sixth wheat-free and lactose-free foods. And almost half who have dipped their toes in the free-from waters in the past six months can’t wait to do it again.
Victoria Beckham has also mentioned that she sticks to a gluten-free diet. [Photo: Instagram/Victoria Beckham]
Due to its bad rap, by far the most common aversion is gluten. BG (Before Gwynnie) gluten-free food was only really available on prescription. Now, stroll down the ‘healthy’ aisle at even the most basic of supermarkets and you’ll see shelves groaning with the stuff. According to The Grocer magazine, the UK gluten-free industry is now worth £175 million and there’s little doubt, it’s the diet fad du jour. Even Jennifer Lawrence has called going gluten-free the “new cool eating disorder”.
But gluten isn’t the only free-from example, faddy eating in general seems to have gone mainstream. Restaurants have sprung up to cater for those who’ve done away with carbs and sugar, and even Pizza Hut has started offering a gluten-free pizza base. The market for free-from foods is estimated to be worth £531 million this year, an increase of 13 per cent on last year’s estimated £470 million. By 2020 it is expected to reach £673 million as last year saw an eighth of all new products described as gluten free.
Fearne Cotton frequently whips up gluten-free food. [Photo: Instagram/Fearne Cotton]
So what’s fuelling the rise? While just over a quarter of households avoid certain ingredients as part of a health drive, a fifth is because of an allergy or intolerance. And it’s women who seem to be most affected. Almost one in five women said the reason they eat free-from foods is because they suspect they have an allergy or intolerance, compared to just one in 10 men.
Kiti Soininen at Mintel which carried out the new research said: “The ‘health halo’ of free-from foods is a key driver of uptake and has resulted in a much larger group of users than the limited number of actual or suspected allergy or intolerance sufferers.
Whatever the reason for the free-from boom, it looks like it is one fad that’s here to stay with many revealing they’re prepared to pay extra to get their free-from fix. So if you’ve not yet hopped on the ‘healthier’ eating bandwagon, it might be time to whip yourself up a #dairy-free #gluten-free #sugar-free smoothie. Just make sure you Instagram it!
Have you tried free-from foods? Let us know @YahooStyleUK.
