The big nutrrition trends for 2016 or are they?

Each year the experts in nutrition predict what will be the big thing for that year, so what are they saying for 2016?

Seaweed

If you like / love sushi, you would already be eating seaweed. Well, it seems that it will be leaving the sushi train and heading to a supermarket near you. As one of the few non animal sources of B12, seaweed is about to be the big thing.

It is high in calcium and iodine and antioxidants and low in fat and sodium. With no gluten and being a good source of protein and fibre, it is a food we should all have been eating already. Some have a difficulty with the whole concept of eating seaweed, but to those who do regularly, it is tasty and very healthy.

Coconut

This high fat food is not going anywhere in the healthy stakes and will continue to be a favourite in cooking, drinks / waters and, in fact, nearly everything. It is high in fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 & B6.

Beans means…..

Although traditionally not a large part of a western diet, beans in all their forms are making a big break through into our supermarkets.

Vegetarians have long known how important and tasty beans are, and now the meat eaters are joining the party.

They are high in copper, folate, iron, protein, antioxidants and fibre. Being low fat and containing no cholesterol is helping to finally make beans an increasingly important part of the western diet.

Sugar is bad, isn’t it?

Apparently there is an increasing trend toward snacking on savoury foods, so it seems like people are working on reducing their sweetness threshold.

Sugar is being seen as a potential contributor to the increase in obesity and disease in our society, so people are moving away from it.

Artificial sweeteners and natural alternatives are not really that popular.

Honey seems to be the emerging sweetener of choice as it is natural and consumers understand what it is.

Free from…..

So the whole “gluten free” thing has been everywhere and is not going anywhere, but the expected new “free from” will be lactose and dairy.

The ads on TV for almond, rice and soy milks shows that this may well be the case.