The hottest Food Trends in 2017

Category : Food | Written by : victorinekulier

WRITTEN BY VICTORINE KULIER

 

Attention food-lovers, we’ve got the latest scoop on what’s new, fresh and trendy this year. There’s a sky-rocketing demand for something unique and exotic on the food market and – spoiler alert – we’ll gladly comply with these must-try ideas. With more and more knowledge about health and nutrition, our food can’t just look pretty anymore, but it has to actually be good for our bodies as well.

 

That’s why purple foods, for instance, aren’t just purple for our pure enjoyment, but because they have a high content of blue-red pigments, which are particularly rich in valuable antioxidants called anthocyanins. Beyond that, there are plenty of other crazy foods, exploding flavors and new inventions on the horizon that will make you rethink your diet habits for 2017 – here’s an insight into what the world is craving this year.

1. Purple H(e)aven

Whole Foods conducted a survey that showed that people around the globe are inclined to buy purple food more than any other colored-foods: among them, purple cauliflowers, sweet potatoes, blueberries, acai and elderberries. Those foods don’t just look good on our plates, but since they’re filled with plenty of antioxidants, they take a couple of years off of our appearance and make us look fitter, healthier and more energetic. Besides that, if you eat a lot of purple foods, you’ll get lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well. Perfect.

2. Adaptogen

Adaptogens are natural healing plants- and mushrooms which support the body in keeping harmony and balance. It’s supposed to do wonders for your stress-levels and help restore balance in your life. Herbs such as ginseng, maca and roseroot are brewed and turned into a cup of tea or added to meals. It’s no coincidence that more and more girls and women are thinking about ditching the birth control pill all together, since very often, your hormones end up being out of whack and you’re left feeling extremely uneasy. To balance this out, we’re visiting the superfood kitchen again this year and create wonderful adaptogenic coffee-infused smoothies that help us get back in touch with our yin and yang.

3. Drone Delivery

Say what? We didn’t quite expect that one. Domino and 7-Eleven were the first ones to jump on that race car and started delivering Pizzas, Slurpees and sandwiches in Nevada and New Zealand. Google has drones flying on Virginia Tech campus and delivering Chipotle burritos. Yup, you heard right – Chipotle burritos.

4. No-Waste-Dishes

It’s time to say goodbye to Kale. Or at least put it on the back burner for a while. There’s a huge range of seaweeds and other non-waste greens, such as turnip, mustard greens or leftover beet, carrot tops and chard, which are usually thrown out. This is all in the sense of sustainable eating – the less we waste, the better! With approximately 40% of food in the U.S going to waste, from seeds to rinds, nothing if off the plate anymore.

5 .The Next Meat Alternative: Jackfruit

We’ve had Tofu, Tempeh, Cauliflower and so on, but the latest meat alternative is the sweet and juicy jackfruit. The Jackfruit is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia and is originally from India. It’s a fibrous fruit that offers a shredded and tender consistency which is why it may remind you of meat. You can slow cook it or just toss it onto your salads and sandwiches or wherever else your heart desires. It has a great ability to absorb the flavors in which it’s cooked, so we say, go for it! This is a picture of a vegan pulled jackfruit BBQ Sandwich with coleslaw and you would never guess that by the looks of it:

6. Swavory

Swavo…what? Swavory is the clever blending of sweet and savory flavors to give your taste buds a ride down explosion lane. In the good way. We have been out on the watch for this one before, but it’s making a big come-back this year again. Think chili bacon jam, sweet flavored hummus like peanut butter and dark chocolate hummus, and salted yogurt drinks (like Ayran) or flavored yogurts like carrot, beet and pumpkin. This confirms our desire for something new and just a tad bit unique.

7. Fermented Foods

Fermenting is back in style and gives us yet another positive food trend this year. This ancient food preparation makes food go through a chemical change caused by enzymes produced from bacteria, microorganism, or yeast.  In a nutshell: it allows to preserve fruits and vegetables beyond the local harvest season, giving us a chance to enjoy them much longer. Microbiome play an important role in our health and mental wellbeing, so we’re going to want to get in on that.

Among the latest trends in fermentation are beet kvass – fermented beet juice beverages, that have probiotic and cancer-fighting benefits (notice something? Purple again!). Other fermented food picks include kimchi (a Korean side dish made of veggies) and gochujang (a super spicy Korean condiment made from chili, rice and soybeans). By the way, the more you ferment a food, the more susceptible it is to becoming alcoholic. Very refreshing.

Box of fermented treats prepared by the @mo_hkg chefs for the @sandorkraut seminar attendees. Amazing range of ferments!!

A photo posted by Fermenting in Hong Kong (@lantaumama) on

8. Buddha Bowls

Ohmmmm. Get your meditation on, because Buddha Bowls are hyping everywhere you look. Insta and food blogs are booming with pictures of the healthy veggie bowls that the Far Eastern Cuisine has fortunately passed onto the world. There are endless variations, they’re colorful and they make us happy. Because, food. There are no rules and no strict recipes to follow – the most important thing is that you add a great variety of colorful vegetables, some lean protein like chicken, healthy fats (yet another excuse to add avocados) and some complex carbs. Basically, it’s the essence of healthy eating. Let your creative juices flow and create a color-explosion of pure bliss and happiness.

Header credit @elsas_wholesomelife
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Author:

victorinekulier

Sports and Media Science | English and American Studies | Track and Field Athlete

I’m a total run-fanatic – but I’m easily convinced to try just about any sport there is. I love adventures, traveling and staying fit and want to inspire our readers to discover their own passions!


“Don’t think about it – just do it"