Incorporating these health food trends into your 2020 diet is a sure-fire way to kick off the New Year.

A new year means new beginnings. And new beginnings are the start of new trends including health foods. The health food industry is constantly changing and evolving, which is fantastic because with each year comes new information. Incorporating these trends into your 2020 diet is a sure-fire way to kick off the New Year!

1. Spiraled Veggies – Instead of pasta, spaghetti squash is all the rage. Not only, do they cut down on calories and refined grains, they are chocker block full of nutrients and you’ll barely even notice that they’re vegetables!  There are many tools now available to transform vegetables into pasta-like noodles from the expensive spiraling machine to small julienne peelers.  Some of the best vegetables-turned-noodles are butternut squash, carrots, turnips and zucchini.  And from there your choices are limitless – from traditional Italian with marinara sauce to Asian or even a casserole.
2. Plant-Based Butters – Peanut and almond butters have been around for what seems like forever, but there’s a new crop of plant-based butters that’s becoming popular. Expect to see more variety, like chickpea butter, macadamia butter, and even watermelon seed butter on grocery store shelves this year. The different seeds, nuts, and legumes have different nutritional profiles and textures, adding more variety and options for people who want to incorporate these foods, but might have nut or soy allergies. Seeds are the nutrition powerhouse of the plant, so plant-based butters are a fantastic way to add more fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals to your diet without the saturated fat in spreads like butter or cream cheese.
3. Bowls – Forget about plates, it’s all about bowls – one-dish meals that pack a punch. Creativity is the name of the game from protein bowls to broth bowls, quinoa bowls and even globally inspired “globowls.”  Served warm or cold, bowl meals combine a variety of vegetables and whole grains as well as a source of protein (grilled meats, eggs, nuts, cheese or tofu).  The top is often garnished with sliced avocado.   Bowl meals have even reached breakfast combing fruit, yogurt and oatmeal into a healthy meal to kick-start your day.
4. Healthy Fats – We may have finally kicked the anti-fat fad out. Scientific research has confirmed; it’s not the amount of fat we need to pay attention to, but rather the type.  So, instead of low-fat, we should be focusing on healthy fats – the unsaturated variety found in olive oil, fatty fish, olives and nuts.  At the top of the healthy fat list?    What started with guacamole is fast becoming the hottest healthy fat trend ever.  Avocado is even redefining breakfast when paired with a slice of toast and fried or poached egg.
5. Ancient Grains – What goes around comes around, right? This is definitely true of whole grains with ancient roots.  Quinoa is still the most popular, but people are starting to branch out.  Quinoa is the seed of a goosefoot plant called Chenopodium quinoa, which traces back to ancient Peru. It’s a gluten-free, cholesterol-free and kosher whole grain. Quinoa is packed with all nine essential amino acids and provides a strong dose of iron, magnesium, vitamins E and B, potassium and fiber.  It is easily swapped for rice or pasta in many dishes and is considered a power food.  There are more ancient grains making their way back to our plates, including teff, millet, amaranth, spelt, freekeh and faro.