Locally Sourced Meats Among Top Trends for 2011

Locally sourced meats, healthy children's dishes and food trucks will be among the hot trends in food service next year, according to a survey of 1,500 chefs by the National Restaurant Association. The professional chefs in the survey also identified sustainability, back-to-basics cuisine, farm-branded ingredients and gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items as top menu themes in the year ahead.

Local sourcing of ingredients and sustainability are becoming mainstream concerns and are no longer just the focus of niche consumer segments.

"American diners are becoming more and more interested in what's on their plate. Sustainability and nutrition are becoming key themes in our nation's nearly one million restaurants," said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the restaurant association.

Reprinted in part from MeatingPlace.com