As a new year begins, it's time to look at the trends that dietitians believe we will be following, with “Clean” eating being billed as 2016's biggest food trend.
"Clean" eating
Experts from Today's Dietitian and Pollock Communications believe “clean” eating, which refers to a diet that's mostly made up of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoids processed food, will be among 2016's biggest food trends.
Seeds
At the same time, seeds should be a bigger part of consumers' diets in 2016. Fifty-five percent of registered dietitians said seeds have superfood star-power, displacing kale as a trendy food source. Avocados are expected to be nearly as popular, along with ancient grains.
"Free" of...
Consumers will continue to express a strong preference for “free” of certain things, like genetically modified organisms (GMO), gluten, and antibiotics.
Spiralizing
Baum Whiteman, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based global food consultant, says vegetable spiralizers are trending up while pasta sales decline (6 percent here, a whopping 25 percent in Italy).
"Ancient foods"
The move toward ancient foods such as grains and superfoods can now become personalized with DNA testing. The foods are also easier to source because ethnic foods and seasonings are becoming the rage, especially those from Africa and the Middle East.
Alternet.com also published a list of 7 food trends to watch for 2016, featuring more plant eating, a rejection of GMOs, eating ugly foods and locavorism, which is the practice of eating locally produced foods.
