Obesity. Demographic shifts. Technology. Recession. All these and more will affect what fills our plates in 2011

Food trends, like fame, are fickle and fleeting. Today's tuna tartare is tomorrow's tuna noodle casserole, yesterday's jus is today's joke, and this month's hot restaurant is next year's high-end vacancy. Perhaps the only constant in the rapidly changing culinary landscape is that the food our grandparents consumed bears little resemblance to the carbs, protein and fat that fuel our 21st century lifestyles.

But as 2010 packs its bags and heads for the airport, what will we be eating and drinking in the coming year? One leading trends analyst, Mintel, is picking no less than six fads we may be riding the coat-tales of before 2011 is out. Probably the most significant are those associated with demographic shifts, particularly where women have taken on dominant roles in the home and workplace. In the UK, for example, 30 percent of women in partnerships are the main household earners. This means that men could become the primary shoppers, leading to all manner of issues of how retailers and marketers peddle food to male consumers.

At the other end of spectrum is the West's ageing society and the increasing number of over 55s who are unwilling, or unable, to slide quietly into retirement. The increased spending power of this sector will continue to exert a powerful influence on the food and beverage retailing sector this year, particularly in terms of products geared towards vitality, health and energy.

There are no prizes for guessing that obesity, and its attendant ills, once again occupies a top spot in trend spotters' 2011 lists. The fact is we are getting bigger as a species: the UK is now the fourth tubbiest nation in the world, with a quarter of its citizens sporting a body mass index of 30 or more, which easily nudges them into the ‘obese' category. And our European cousins, including Germany and France, have little reason for complacency: they too feature significantly in the fat league tables.

It's a trend that has food and beverage manufacturers split - either they can cater to the obesity epidemic (take a bow fast food outlets) or they can counter it with healthier options, as the burgeoning health and diet industries have chosen to. But no matter which side of the debate businesses are on, one thing is clear: they'll be getting stretch marks from the rapid growth of this sector during 2011.

According to one analyst, food trends reflect the social, economic and cultural shifts taking place around us. What we eat is, they believe, largely a reflection of what's going on in our world and our reaction to it. Economic tsunamis, automation, a desire to reconnect with our rural roots and utilise technology - our cover story predicts how these and other influences will affect what ends up on our plates this year.

Here's to enjoyable culinary experiences in 2011...