chef@nafem.org
As we learned from Peter Diamandis at the recent NAFEM annual meeting in San Antonio, exponential growth, instantaneous results and endless
information are all attributes of the new normal. As we reflect on how our lives move and what should be the norm, a critical detail frequently gets
pushed aside.
Our bodies, trusty workhorses that they are, need care and nourishment. More and more it seems that the general public, and certainly the food-oriented
populous, are concerned with wellness. It is a good thing.
For many years at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), we have understood the importance attached to a healthfully aware diet, from the work which
began far ahead of the trend at the General Foods Nutrition Center, now St. Andrew’s Café, to our work with Harvard Medical School and even our recent
development of the fantastic conference, Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives. We have understood for a long time that eventually the day would come when
most everyone would truly appreciate the need for properly cooked food, tasty and fresh with the right portion size, on a daily basis.
From every angle the feeding public is finding satisfaction from eating well. It is a time when we all feel stress from the economy to the abundance of
everything and true, good health makes it possible for us to cope with the ever growing demands on our time and minds. For us in the food business, it
is a boon, a time when a new market is opening up, new demands on which we can capitalize and fresh ground to trample with great concepts and ideas.
I write this today from a perspective of friendship (treat yourself right!) and hopefully inspiration that will incite you and your companies to look toward the
new needs of the food industry, i.e., portion control, precision, fresh holding, low-fat cookery and all the ways to cook foods in a flavorful way. Present your
ideas for consumption in whatever areas of the foodservice industry you serve. Fresh, healthful and tasty is creeping in on a new level and has room to grow!