By Fresh Produce Marketing founder Lisa Cork

Those of you who have read my columns for a while know that about this time of year, I start encouraging everyone to google 'food trends', 'health trends' and 'diet trends' for the coming year.

Trends are an easy (and free) way to gain consumer insights and update your own awareness of what is new, topical and on-trend from the perspective of the consumer. Trends provide useful information you can leverage to make your packaging more effective.

Let’s do an exercise together. Can anyone name the vegetable that is trending for 2015? I've reviewed at least three, reliable food trend projections recently, and cauliflower is the vegetable that is trending for 2015. Believe it or not, kale's reign is over and cauliflower is the next big thing.

If you are like me then you are likely saying to yourself, “What? Cauliflower? Really? Cauliflower? How is cauliflower trendy?" And I think I might have an answer for you, but to understand, you have to bring multiple trends together.

Now, please understand, this is my own theory, but I tend to be pretty good at understanding and leveraging trends, so just go with me for a minute.

At the moment, some of the hot, on-trend diets focus on eliminating carbs (carbohydrates). There is also a lot of buzz about sugar at the moment (another subject for another day) and in reality, all carbs break down to sugar at some point. Some take longer, some take less time, but all carbs become sugars.

So there is significant interest at the moment in carb substitutes and if you are going carb free, often it relates to going gluten free as well. Enter cauliflower, which is being pitched in many of the low carb diets as a flour substitute.

If you look up Paleo recipes (as in The Paleo Diet) using cauliflower, you will be amazed at what you'll find. I found recipes for: Cauliflower Wraps, Cauli Biscuits with zero flour, Cauli Mashed Potatoes (nightshade and inflammation free), Cauli Tater Tots, Cauli Rice and Risotto, legume free Cauli Hummus and even a creamy Cauli Alfredo Sauce and a Cauli Pizza Crust.

So there you go. Want to know why cauliflower is trending? Simply look around at how it is being used in low carb diets and you will have your answer.

So, for you cauliflower growers out there (and any other grower wanting to take advantage of a trend), how can you use this information to your benefit? If I were working with you, here is what we would be exploring.

• How can you package your cauliflower to take advantage of the cauli as a substitute for carbs trend?

• When was the last time you reviewed your cauliflower recipes on your website or packaging? Now is the time to update them and link into the low carb craze.

• If you have existing packaging, test the low carb theory by putting random stickers on some packs that say "low carb substitute product" and see which cauliflowers sell first.

• Be bold and liaise with the Paleo or other low carb diet people and see if you can get them to endorse cauliflower and then use that endorsement on your packaging.

Food trends, health trends and diet trends are a gold mine of information. Everyone in produce should be reviewing them annually and then discussing how they might help or influence your strategy for the coming year.

With December upon us, I would like to wish all of you safe, happy and healthy holidays. And in the New Year if you want to bring some fresh thinking into your business, give me a call. I would love to help you find a trend you can take advantage of to grow your sales. My details: lisa@freshproducemarketing.com or call me on +64 274 772 842.

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