We've gathered the top 10 food trends  for 2012, predicted by 10 different food related organizations. These will all have an big impact on your eating and shopping habits for the next year. Which of these predictions do you agree with?

1) Double-Sided Menus: Mintel Group, Ltd.

This forecasting group says that restaurant menus are going to become “double-sided” because of rising health concerns among customers. More menus will offer healthy options, as well as sinful indulgences, with premium and value pricing on opposite sides of the menus. 

2) Xtreme Home Cooking: Phil Lempert's Supermarket News

The Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert has put his focus on “Xtreme Home Cooking”, in which, he says, people will work hard to cook an ultimate “value meal” in their own kitchens instead of going out to eat. People will start putting more emphasis on cost-effectiveness and taste rather than convenience. In addition, manufacturers will develop products that are more devoted to health and wellness.

3) Smaller Portions: Small Business Food Trends

This group predicts that restaurant owners will look toward serving smaller portions on their menus. Customers will love this shift, since diners love to share what they are eating and most of them are now health-conscious about portions. Moreover, this will allow chefs to be able to experiment with new ingredients and cooking methods, without bearing the burden of too much cost.

4) More "Free From" Foods: Leatherhead Food Research 

According to this group of dieticians, “free-from” foods are going to be one of the top 10 food trends of 2012. Be it gluten, lactose, soy or nuts, something or the other will continue to remain absent from packaged food items. This is a result of the growing number of health and nutrition conscious members of our population.

5) More Demand for Pure: Functional Ingredients and Nutraceuticals World

Both these groups claim that the customers will continue to look for “pure” labels. Pure will become the new “natural”. This, in turn, will result in food manufacturing becoming more ethical, less wasteful, and more authentic.

6) Shopping Schizophrenia: The Food Channel

Another key trend for 2012 is “Shopping Schizophrenia”, which means the reoccurrence of specialty food shops like those of butchers, patisseries, etc, which would provide a more intimate shopping experience for customers compared to supermarkets.

7) Kid Customers: National Restaurant Association

Kids will become more valued customers, if NRA’s vision 2012 is anything to go by. This means, more healthy kids’ menu options, children’s nutrition becoming more important at restaurants and smaller versions of adult meals being served to kids. We're hoping that McDonald’s will learn a thing or two from this.

8) Lifestyle Changes - American Council on Exercise

Weight loss will gain a whole new meaning in 2012, and it will probably go by the name of “lifestyle coaching.” This is something all trainers and dieticians have been emphasizing for years. Permanent weight loss is not just about pumping iron and eating veggies. It requires a complete lifestyle makeover. More people will begin to understand this in 2012.

9) More Snacking: The Hartman Group

Traditional meals will decrease in 2012, with more and more families eating together less often. Snacks or fewer meals will eventually replace the traditional four-course dinner at your parents’ place. Although, it is a bit sad, on the bright side- fewer traditional meals means fewer calories. See, there’s the silver lining!

10) Familiarity in Dining Out - Technomic

This firm has predicted that consumers will be less willing to dine at places they are not familiar with. This does not mean that innovation will cease to exist. You will continue to see innovative methods for preparing sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and pastas. Premium ingredients will give way to simpler ones like beans, artisan grains, and cheaper cuts of meat.