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Kelp noodle stir fry, soybean spaghetti and dandelion salad: Climate scientists reveal what we'll be eating for dinner in the future - so, would you try it?

Kelp noodle stir fry, soybean spaghetti and dandelion salad: Climate scientists reveal what we'll be eating for dinner in the future - so, would you try it?

Daily Mail​13-05-2025
The likes of shepherd's pie and fish & chips soon be off Britain's dinner menu in favour of more eco-friendly options, according to a new report.
Scientists have teamed up with HelloFresh to predict what Brits will be eating in just 10 years time as we fight to halt climate change.
And the menu of the near future reveals five very bizarre options – with no meat in sight.
There's a stir fry with noodles made out of kelp (a type of brown algae) as well as 'meatballs' made with mushrooms on a bed of sorghum.
There's also teff galette – a French-style tart made out of teff, a highly-nutritious ancient grain – served with dandelion salad.
Spaghetti will be formed from soybean protein, while ramen will be served with tempeh, an alternative protein from fermented soybeans.
Experts say we will see these dishes in the next 10 years or so, but by 2050 they will have gone mainstream and be commonly eaten in homes.
So, would you try them?
All five dishes are free from any meat and very little cheese, which studies show are a big drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, like carbon dioxide and methane.
Many of the crops used in these dishes emit minimal emissions as they're being grown.
But others are particularly heat-resistant, making them well-suited for growth in a world blighted by hotter temperatures.
'Our diets will probably look different in 2050, but perhaps not in the way that people might think,' said Dr Joseph Poore, climate scientist at the University of Oxford.
'Climate change will mean that a broader range of drought and heat-resistant crops will need to be cultivated, some of which our ancestors would have grown.
'We'll also need to eat a diet lower in animal products to avert severe global warming; these foods will be good for our health and the planet.'
Experts think popular foods of the future will fit into four categories – native UK crops, greenhouse gas absorbers, Andean & African crops, and 'exotic' foods grown locally.
Native UK crops will include salad leaves and flowers such as sorrell, ribwort and fat hen, alongside grains and seeds like buckwheat, rye and camelina.
These were once part of a traditional British diet but have fallen off the menu over the last 50 years or so.
Greenhouse gas absorbers includes tree crops such as nuts, citrus fruits and olives, which remove greenhouse gases from the air, as do mussels and oysters, which absorb carbon in their shells.
Other carbon-absorbing ingredients that will become more common in our diets include seaweed, a staple in many Asian cuisines, and edible cacti, which can be used in everything from tacos to jam.
Meanwhile, Andean and African crops are largely suited to an unpredictable climate and will become regulars on our dinnerplates in the years ahead.
Kiwicha and kañihua, two Andean relatives of quinoa, and teff and fonio, both African 'millet' grains, are likely to become the new 'supergrains'.
Meanwhile the bambara and marama bean could soon compete with lentils, chickpeas and common beans for a place in our stews.
Lastly, 'exotic' foods that used to be grown abroad will be grown in the UK, largely thanks to hotter temperatures here.
Examples include the beloved avocado, a hipster, favourite, plus durum wheat (used for pasta), soya beans, chickpeas, okra and citrus fruits.
Native UK crops will include salad leaves and flowers such as sorrell. Pictured, sorrell, which can be easily mistaken for spinach. Sorrell released a remarkable citrus burst a few seconds after being bitten into. London restaurant Dabbous once served a dish called Iced Sorrell - a single frozen sorrel leaf dusted with icing sugar
HelloFresh – which delivers customers with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes – could soon be introducing some of these crops.
The company also expects several food trends to be common by 2050, including AI sorting out the weekly shop and more ingredients being grown in the home.
However, eating together will continue to be an important social event – one that AI and robotics won't threaten.
'We can expect numerous changes in the way we live and eat in the future,' said Dr Morgaine Gaye, a food futurologist involved with the new research.
'Despite all the changes in how and what we eat, the experience of cooking and eating together will remain an important way to connect with our senses, our friends and family, and the natural world.
'AI will not be able to replace the joy of a home-cooked meal with the people we love.'
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