the 4 2019 food and nutrition trends
we think you should know

From fad diets, superfoods, supplements, to new technology and research, every year there’s always something new and innovative out there to help make our lives easier and our health optimized! The question is… are they worth all of this hype or is it just another marketing scam? Do we invest or say “Thank you, NEXT”?

As Registered Dietitians, we complied the top 4 2019 food and nutrition trends that we think are WORTH
paying attention to and checking out this year to Reboot your health and nutrition!

Gut Health Foods + food products

Ever wonder why you’re starting to see more advertisements and marketing around probiotic supplements, kombucha, and fermented foods? It’s because of the growing amount of evidence and research around the gut microbiome and its link to our overall health, especially its effects on our mental health!

ask the RD: What is the microbiome?

It’s the collection of good and bad bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. (1)

Ask the RD: how does our gut affect mental health?

Long story short, our gastrointestinal tract lining has millions of nerve endings that send signals to the brain! When there is irritation or changes in the gastrointestinal system and microbiome, signals are sent to the central nervous system, triggering mood changes (2, 3).

ask the Rd: What can I do to improve my gut microbiome?

A lot of the makeup of our gut microbiome is genetic. However, what we eat can plays a large role ! Look at products high in fiber, fermented foods, or foods with probiotics (the “good” bacteria) and prebiotics (non-digestible food parts that feed probiotics).

High in probiotics, yogurt is a great place to start!

Kombucha is a very popular drink well known for its contents of good bacteria, or “The Mother”. However, there is not enough research in regards to the benefits of drinking it. If you’re still interested, GT’s and HealthAde are great brands to try! Also, foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh are also high in probiotics due to the fermentation process they go under.
Probiotic supplements are also sold on the market. A good probiotic brand i recommend is Dr Ohhira probiotics

2. Going more Plant Based for your Health + the Planet

Yes, we all know eating more fruits and vegetables is good for us! But we promise, we don’t say it just because! Research presents that whole, plant-based foods are “cost-effective, low-risk interventions that may lower BMI, blood pressure, A1C, and cholesterol levels” (4) among MANY other health benefits!

Ask the RD: What is a plant based diet?

Think a vegan diet but without the ethical ties. A plant based diet is one that consists of whole, nutrient-dense, or minimally processed plant-based foods from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and no animal foods or products (including dairy and eggs).

Ask the RD: How does a plant based diet help the planet?

Reducing animal consumption has the chance of significantly reducing carbon emissions and waste byproducts. It can also reduce water use because animal husbandry uses more than 50% of fresh water (5).

Ask the RD: But what about protein and Vitamin B12?

Protein is found in not only animal products, but vegetables, legumes, and grains! Look to soy, beans, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables! In regards to B12, if you plan on adopting a plant based diet, consider taking a Vitamin B12 supplement as these are primarily found in animal products.

Ask the RD: What products do you recommend to help me start?

Luckily, plant based diets are becoming recognized more and more by the general public, making it a more accessible lifestyle change. Companies such as Hungry Root and Daily Harvest are also there to deliver these foods and to give you ideas of what to do to make delicious meals!

3. farm & grocery doorstep delivery

Speaking of being more environmentally friendly this year, reducing food and packaging waste can help plenty! There are so many ways of reducing waste and a good place to start is by utilizing reusable shopping bags, reusable produce bags, and shopping in bulk. If you want to take a step further, you can utilize a farm to doorstep service!

Ask the RD: How does food waste affect the environment? Isn’t food biodegradable?

Excellent question. Pretty much, when food waste ends up in landfills it produces methane, which is more of a powerful greenhouse gas than CO2, thus heating up the earth’s atmosphere (6). Food waste is also equivalent to wasted water, and agricultural land area.

Ask the RD: what’s farm to doorstep?

A farm to doorstep service is one that delivers fresh produce and groceries right to your door. Depending on the company, the fresh produce sent to you are the ones that tend to be overlooked at a grocery store, aka “ugly produce”, but they’re just as good! Other services will send you staple groceries, especially useful if they’re not accessible in your area.

Some bands i love:

Thrive Market is an excellent service that offers goods delivered directly at your doorstep. No matter your dietary restriction, they’ll have something for you. A huge plus is that the goods that they offer are sold at a discounted price compared to your local grocery store. This service is incredibly useful for those who don’t live close to major supermarkets.

Hungry Harvest is a service that delivers boxes of rescued, “ugly” produce. The great thing about Hungry Harvest is that you can choose exactly the produce that you want in your box, also adding in other specialty products. Also, Hungry Harvest reports that each delivery “saves at least 10 pounds of produce from going to waste”, so what’s better than that?

4. CBD, medicinal Mushrooms, and Bean-based Pasta, Oh My!

We’re almost 100% sure that you’ve seen these talked about plenty lately, but what exactly do these three food products have in common? They are functional foods!

Ask the RD: What is a functional food?

As defined by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, functional foods are “whole foods along with fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis at effective levels based on significant standards of evidence”. They can be used as medical foods or food for special dietary use! Let’s get into each one.

CBD oil
The technical term for CBD is actually, Cannabidiol. It’s a phyto-cannabinoid component of the Cannabis sativa plant, and research is showing that CBD has a wide range of therapeutic properties such as antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory uses (7). Here are some fun facts about CBD!

The most commonly reported use of CBD is actually for anxiety and sleep! The preferred method to take CBD is sublingually, with a full-spectrum, CO2 extracted hemp oil. However it is now beginning to hit the markets in food like chocolates and other snacks. Keep in mind, though, there is not much research in regards to the effectiveness of CBD in food. If you’d like to learn more about CBD, check out this incredibly informative episode from our Dietitian friends at The Food Heaven Show!
Medicinal Mushrooms
Now, when we say mushrooms, we don’t mean creminis! We’re talking medicinal mushroom. But don’t be weirded out! Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in wellness practices around different parts of the world. Among some of the reported benefits of medicinal mushrooms: antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects (8)! If you’re interested to add these nutritional boosting shrooms into your diet but not sure how, check out some of my favorites:

Reishi has been used to treat restlessness, insomnia and stress (9). Use this one to calm the nerves and prepare for a good night’s sleep.
Cordyceps is excellent for energy and exercise performance along plenty of others (10). Use this if you want to try out a new pre-workout!
Lion’s Mane has been shown to have neurotrophic (growth of nervous tissue) properties (11). Use this to help focus and tap into your creative side!

If you’d like to try out functional mushroom products, Four Sigmatic is an excellent place to start with delicious coffees, hot cacaos, and elixirs!

Bean-based Pasta

Want some pasta with a good punch of minimally processed whole foods, protein and fiber? Try out bean pasta! And yes, by bean pasta we do actually mean pasta made out of black beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc! With a bite and taste similar to regular pasta, you can’t go wrong with these!

Our favorite brands include Banza and Explore Cuisine, both offering an incredible variety of different types of pastas made from different types of protein and fiber packed beans!

Just like your resolutions, take these nutrition trends one step at a time! Which one catches your interest first? Is there one that may benefit you the most or which do you really want to try and will actually enjoy? Start there!

Take these recommendations with you as you go about 2019 and let us know in the comments below which trends you try!

P.S. NEED TO RECHARGE + REFOCUS + RESET YOUR HEALTH?

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