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embraced higher calorie indulgent bakery items, oftentimes in
a pandemic-driven home baking
mode. Dummer said Instagram was
becoming ﬂooded with images of
banana bread.
However, consumers are also
showing a desire to improve their
health in a time of concern about
coronavirus. Recent surveys show
"people are making better eating
choices and working on physical
activities," she observed. The upshot
is "a dynamic in which people are
reaching for those comfort foods,
but also aiming to eat healthier
and increase their ability to ﬁght
off disease."
The trends of indulgence and
health don't have to be contradictory, Dummer emphasized. "If the
banana bread is being made with
whole wheat flour and bananas,
those are good attributes," she said.
The bread category, boosted by
surging sales growth during the
pandemic, has new opportunities for
wellness-based strategies, she said.
"From a dietician's point of view, we
can make bread more nutrient dense
and healthier" she said. "That might
mean having more whole grains,

Recent surveys
show people are
making better
eating choices
and working
on physical
activities."
Jane Dummer, nutrition expert,
registered dietitian and food
industry consultant

more seeds, perhaps dried fruit."
Healthier baked goods provide
new potential for nutrition education and messaging. Whole grains
are a great source of ﬁber, Dummer
said. Fiber promotes good transit
time in the gut. Moreover, soluble
ﬁber in whole grains contains prebiotics, which support the gut and
immunity.
"All of these pieces are linked
together," she said. "The recommendation for ﬁber is 25 to 30 grams
a day, which is usually not met by
adults in North America. Getting

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Consumers were starting to focus
more on health and wellness even
before the pandemic. In the wake
of the global coronavirus crisis, will
consumers prioritize dietary wellness strategies even more? If so, will
bakers need to prepare? Yes and
yes, said Jane Dummer, a nutrition
expert, registered dietitian and food
industry consultant.
"People are focusing more on
healthy ingredients such as whole
grains," said Dummer, speaking
during the American Bakers
Association podcast, Bake to the
Future. "I predict this trend will
become stronger post-Covid,
because people are wanting to
make sure they're eating as wholesome and healthy as possible."
She said the baking industry, from
retail to foodservice, has the opportunity to emphasize nutrient-dense
breads, items that promote gut
health, and other wellness-focused
products - all while maintaining the
consumer's emotional connection
to baked goods.
Consumers have displayed seemingly contradictory behavior trends
during this crisis period. On the one
hand, Dummer noted, they have
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