While most of us are soaking up the summer sunshine and enjoying the occasional cocktail by the pool, national media across the country are setting holiday spreads for photography in this year’s November and December publications. The reality is that, if you haven’t already, now is the time to finalize holiday content that can be used for long-lead media pitches!
Several months ago, we spoke with some of the nation’s top food influencers from Family Circle, Health, and Gimme Some Oven to determine what 2016 trends would take over our plates, and here’s how they encourage the use of those trends in this year’s holiday recipes:
Roasted Veggies
Root vegetables, dark leafy greens, and uniquely colored veggies like carrots, cauliflower, and squash continues to be a popular side dish. But, this holiday offers an opportunity to focus on winter veggies as the majority of the plate. Create dishes that highlight fall and winter vegetables as the base of your meal, whether that’s a bed of greens or spiralized squash or beets.
Portable DIY Dishes
It’s no secret that Pinterest has made DIY a trend in the last several years, but we expect, based on editor feedback from national food publications, that portable DIY recipes will thrive. Examples include making homemade nut and cookie butters to gift in mason jars, unique sweet treats (aside from traditional cookies), and pickled/fermented foods like these amazing pickled strawberries.
Herbs and Spices
We’ve continued to see growth in popularity with unique spices, especially when paired with fresh produce. For holiday recipes, be thinking of ways to incorporate spices and herbs like cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, nutmeg, rosemary, garlic, and curry.
Merry and Bright!
Move over marshmallow fluff and mashed potatoes, this holiday serves as an opportunity to use fresh fruit and veggies to add color to dishes and desserts. If your product is otherwise a subtle color (apples, bananas, dates, nuts, etc.) be sure to get some fresh berries, citrus, greens, or other complementary fresh produce in your photography to elevate your recipe.
As our PR team engages with national food editors in the next several weeks, we’ll be focused on sending holiday-centric recipes that support these 2016 food trends. Our hope is that this year’s November and December magazine covers are overflowing with bright fresh fruits and veggies in place of the traditional cookies and cakes!
Have a thought or question about holiday recipe trends? Comment below or tweet us at @thecoreblog and @bethatkinsonpr!
