Trending with Tracie: Increase and Decrease

True story, I’ve been putting cinnamon in my coffee for years, but unfortunately, I’ve been doing it all wrong. Meet Shabbir Nooruddin, Chief Caffeine Officer at Coffee in My Veins, who just taught me a new method to spice up my coffee with cinnamon without getting the clumps at the top. The best way to add cinnamon to coffee is to mix it in your coffee grounds! Yep. Mind blown.

Trending with Tracie: Let’s Partake

Hu first started in 2012 in NYC as a high-end restaurant and market; back then they were known as ‘Hu Kitchen.’ Their vegan and paleo-friendly chocolate bars were a hit, and eventually started to sell in the natural retail channel. The purpose-led lifestyle brand, with a mission of, “Get Back to Human,” has expanded beyond chocolate and into new segments – baking, snacking chocolate, and grain-free crackers. Along the way, the brand has stayed true to its core values of unbeatable taste with unmatched simplicity.

Tea: A Healthier Break in Your Workday

We know water is a great way to stay hydrated and healthy while working from home during the pandemic – but let’s face it, that gets boring. And especially in the cold months, we crave a warm beverage. But don’t turn to the sugary drinks just yet – having a cup of unsweetened tea can keep you hydrated and help reduce sugar in your diet instead of reaching for that peppermint mocha latte.

Trending with Tracie: Oh That’s Super!

New ways to a more sustainable future are coming from every angle! PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common thermoplastic used in single-use beverage bottles, but it takes the plastic hundreds of years to break down in the environment. There’s good news ahead, as researchers from the University of Portsmouth and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found a super enzyme that’s derived from bacteria which can naturally and fully digest PET plastic bottles.

Trending with Tracie: Speaking of Cravings

Snacking is a part of our culture. Long gone are the days where 3 meals a day are the norm, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that American consumers have once again turned to snacks for comfort and enjoyment. Based on NPD’s latest Snack Food Behaviors in Challenging Times study, snack food consumption has increased 8% during the pandemic as folks look to comfort food with savory and sweet snacks in mind.

Trending with Tracie: Changes

There’s one thing that I don’t ever skimp on, and that’s my morning java. I’ve been WFH lately and can’t order my favorite oat milk latte from my local coffee shop craftily made by my barista Julien. But, as we’ve all had to, I’ve learned to adjust, and it looks like most consumers have too. Peet’s Coffee, which got its start in 1966 in Berkeley and has grown to 200 locations, saw a 70% increase in subscription orders fulfilled in May 2020 as compared to May 2019.

Trending with Tracie: Dang Tea!

Post drinking tea do you ever feel like your mood is oh so much brighter? Many folks who drink tea testify to the relaxing and invigorating feeling it brings. Researchers have found that drinking tea lowers stress hormone cortisol levels. Tea causes a calming and alert effect at the same time – you drink it and feel calm, but then alertness settles in (as the caffeine kicks in).

Trending with Tracie: Jump Aboard!

You’ve tried Dalgona coffee, now it’s time to try the latest on-trend beverage – Golden Milk! Sounds intriguing, right?! This drink is a concoction of turmeric, coconut milk, raw honey, Himalayan pink salt, and ground black pepper. Whisk these ingredients together, and you have your Golden Milk concentrate. The concentrate can be added to your milk of choice and served warm or chilled. Why turmeric?