The Healthy Truth: 2017 Health Food Trends

Welcome back, friends!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays and that you (somewhat) stuck to your diet. If you didn’t, don’t feel too bad about it. Overeating and failure to make the right food choices are often unavoidable during the holidays. I can admit myself that healthy choices weren’t always made.

Now that it’s the New Year, we are on track to fulfill our New Year’s resolutions. For many of us, that includes getting fit and eating better. If improving your diet is on your to-do list for 2017, you’ll find this post quite handy.

Below I present the top forecasted health food trends for 2017. Of course, rather than switching to these foods completely, it’s more for keeping you aware of the foods which you may not have enjoyed in the past. We will also look at other nutrition trends that will gain popularity in 2017 as society tries to reduce waste as much as possible.

2017 food trends

Ugly foods: It seems in 2017 we will see an influx in food that isn’t “pretty.” What does this mean? Well, tomatoes that aren’t perfectly round, carrots that don’t look like they belong on a snowman’s nose, and so on. Every year, we are throwing away thousands of these “ugly” foods, adding to our growing waste problem. But just because something is ugly doesn’t mean that it is not as good for us. Expect to see more deformed produce in the grocery store.

Whole food cooking: How many times have you cut off a portion of a vegetable, thrown it away, and cooked with the remainder? Once again, to cut down on waste, chefs worldwide are finding ways to use the complete vegetable for all of its benefits.

Unusual greens: Move over kale and spinach, and welcome unusual greens such as seaweed and kelp. The demand for these unconventional items is growing, and restaurants are taking note by serving them up in a variety of ways.

Golden lattes: 2017 may be the year of turmeric and what better way to consume this anti-inflammatory than in a beverage?! Many cafes are already serving up the so-called golden lattes made of turmeric, coconut oil, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, honey, and unsweetened plant-based milk. In the attempt to improve your health, you may soon find yourself ordering up golden lattes instead of your regular ones.

Vegetarian foods that you’ll want to eat: Vegetarian and vegan food options are become tastier and tastier, making more people wanting to eat them. More vegetarian-based restaurants are opening up for business to showcase all the many things you can eat without meat. If you’re looking for new ways to eat your vegetables, then 2017 will be your year.

Jackfruit: This Asian fruit is growing in popularity because when cooked it has a texture similar to pulled pork. But don’t be fooled: while it may look like meat, it actually doesn’t contain that much protein.
Dinner kits and meal boxes: It’s becoming increasingly easy to prepare a healthy meal at home with dinner kits and meal boxes that are conveniently mailed right to your door. Instead of heading out for a meal you may be more tempted to prepare one yourself in the comfort of your home with all the necessary ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.

Unknown ancient grains: You may now be familiar with quinoa as a high-protein ancient grain, but there are many others you have yet to discover. These include teff and sorghum, which are packed with protein and fiber to give your meals a health boost.

New noodles: Move over pasta – zoodles are the new noodles. The most common zoodle is noodles made from zucchini, but other varieties include quinoa and lentils. Zoodles are a richer source of nutrients compared to regular noodles while still offering similar textures.

Coconut: Coconut in any form – milk, water, sugar, oil, etc. – will continue to be all the rage in 2017. Coconut flour, for example, offers a great alternative to wheat flour, making it a smart gluten-free choice. Furthermore, coconut flour is packed with fiber and protein, making it a very nutritious option, too. No matter what you are making, you can probably find a coconut alternative for it.

These are just some healthy food predictions for 2017, but I’m sure more will come to light as the year goes by. Are you already hooked on any of these foods trends?

As I mentioned, you don’t need to embrace all of these fads, but if you are looking to make healthier food choices, some of these trends may come in handy.

Until next week,

Emily Lunardo