It’s going to be the best year ever! You are going to love how you feel, because we’ve got hundreds of quality health products to help. And, there’s more to love – check out these 8 health food trends you can look forward to in 2018.

1. Ancient Fast Food
Expect to see more ready-to-eat Paleo snack foods, from pork rinds to sardines, meat sticks to raw cookies this year. The Paleo diet works because you eat fewer calories (similar to other diets like intermittent fasting or juicing), noted a review last month from the University of Louisville. As for the Paleo diet’s long-term benefits, that’s still up for scientific debate.

2. More Mushrooms
Love drinking coffee to kick-start your morning? Hong Kong researchers noted mushrooms have anti-fatigue effects. Expect to see mushroom teas and coffees on shelves in 2018. You may soon also be using mushrooms as fuel (protein powders), finding them in your purse (snack bars), or in your bathroom (soaps, hair care products). Being immune-boosting sources of vitamin D, it’s not surprising mushroom products are sprouting up everywhere.

3. Bite-Sized Goodness
Go on, sprout a little! Sprouting and fermenting cereals creates more protein, and fewer anti-nutrients (so you can better absorb minerals in the grains), noted a Critical Review in Food Science and Nutrition. These foods are moving beyond drinks and protein powders – soon they’ll appear in the snack food aisle too. Think chips, cookies, truffles and crackers – mmm!

4. Keto-ific!
The ketogenic diet may be the next big diet trend. It’s a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet trying to get the body to burn fat as fuel. A clinical study suggests it does cause weight loss and may lower bad blood fats when used for up to 24 weeks in obese adults. As with all trendy diets, first take your unique nutritional needs into consideration.

5. Super Powders
Powders are not just for muscles anymore! You’ll see powders contains nutrients for skin and hair (collagen), to battle aging (mushrooms), to counteract exercise-induced immune dysfunction (colostrum). There are even powders designed just for your gut, or with greens from the sea. A fast, convenient way to get highly-dense nutrition into your body, powdered foods could be a welcome addition your busy life this year.

6. Longevity
Aging complaints in Canada are common, yet Blue Zones (places where people age well) exist around the world (including Lunenburg, Nova Scotia). You can start with positive thinking – it’s linked to better heart health according to Pennsylvania State researchers. Or, skip the sugar – genetic researchers know sugar triggers the aging process. Watch for new products designed to improve energy, memory and other annoying aspects of aging.

7. Root to Stem
Driven by desires to waste less, it’s not surprising to find new recipes using the whole plant. Consider chopping kale stems into a pesto. Or, slicing those broccoli stems to make a yummy slaw. That’s worth considering, since Italian researchers found 10 days of eating broccoli (250g/day) lowered markers of inflammation by a half!

8. Green is the New Black
Want to know what’s coming next? The future is looking green! Watch for innovations that transform waste from food production into nutritious products. For example, ugly or overripe fruits are being turned into relishes and fruit leathers. Normally discarded coconut flesh, from collecting coconut water, can be turned into coconut jerky. Otherwise overlooked coffee leaves from pruning are being used to make tea. The UN estimates that each year about a third of the total food produced, is wasted.

Move Over Cows – it’s not quite a trend yet, but make some space for new plant-based products. Milk made from barley, hemp, flax and quinoa are just a few of the new dairy alternatives coming this new year!

More trends are sure to emerge as we make our way through 2018, so be sure to keep your eyes open for new ways to stay healthy this year and beyond!

By Allison Tannis, MSc, RHN 

References:
Popular Weight Loss Strategies. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2017 Nov 9;19(12):61.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11894-017-0603-8
Antifatigue Functions and Mechanisms of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms. Biomed Res Int. 2017; 2017:9648496.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28890898
Enhancement of Attributes of Cereals by Germination and Fermentation: A Review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2015;55(11):1575-89.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2012.706661
The Protective Role of Positive Well-Being in Cardiovascular Disease: Review of Current Evidence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Implications. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2016 Nov;18(11):106.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5060088/
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2015 Dec;25(6):788-96. doi: 10.1111/sms.12433. Epub 2015 Feb 28.
Influence of 4 weeks of bovine colostrum supplementation on neutrophil and mucosal immune responses to prolonged cycling.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25727914
Effect of 10-day broccoli consumption on inflammatory status of young healthy smokers. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014 Feb;65(1):106-11.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09637486.2013.830084
Long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients. Exp Clin Cardiol. 2004 Fall; 9(3): 200–205.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/

About the Author: Allison Tannis, MSc, RHM

Canadian Nutrition Expert & Author of five books, including Aging Bites. More about health (from poop to wrinkles) by this fun, research geek at allisontannis.com