Food Trends Redux

How time flies and the calories burn! It’s been about a year since we last spoke about food trends, the foods that this year are going to prolong our lives, put pep in our step and give us a silky coat..

American Academy of Nutrition RDs (registered dietitians) were polled on their selections for 2024’s top superfoods (foods that are full of nutrients) are fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha), fresh or frozen blueberries, seeds (sesame, chia), avocados, nuts, green tea, beans, mushrooms, ancient grains (quinoa, spelt, farro, buckwheat) and salmon.

So, let’s see… We could have a green-tea poached, mushroom, kimchi and buckwheat-stuffed filet of salmon, with a roasted blueberry and sesame reduction sauce, a garnish of sliced avocado, served on a bed of black bean puree. Or, how about grilled mushroom caps garnished with toasted pistachios and smoked salmon, served with savory buckwheat pancakes with a pureed of avocado and cranberry beans, and a refreshing kombucha-blueberry-green tea spritzer.

And you thought including superfoods on the menu would be difficult!

Fish oil, loaded with Vitamin A and D and Omega-3s. What could be bad? Atrial fibrillation, that’s what! According to some recent studies (references supplied on request), it is possible that fish oils may produce atrial fibrillation in people with a propensity for it. So, tell Grandma to put away the cod liver oil bottle and the big spoon and check with the doctor before self-prescribing.

 So, where do you get your “reliable” nutrition information? Eighty percent of polled RDs said that TikTok is the biggest source of misleading nutrition info, with Instagram at 72% and Facebook at 71%. Suggestions for reliable nutrition information included the USDA, CDC and FDA websites, as well as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.eatright.org) and the Mayo Clinic Health Letter (https://www.mayoclinic.org/documents/healthletter-may-pdf/doc-20079405).

Speaking about “reliable” information, the US Federal Government has been issuing nutrition advice for consumers since 1894. In the 1930s, in response to the Great Depression, the government promoted the use of their newly-minted Four Food Groups. The recommendations included “12 servings of fruits and vegetables per week, 1 daily serving of potatoes and 1 serving of citrus or tomatoes”.

This was the first that recommended daily allowances (RDAs) had been put into use, for Vitamins A, D and C and the B complex. Vitamins E and K had not been identified as yet.

In response to World War II, in the 1940s, the Seven Food Groups were disseminated to the public, with “ some” milk, cheese, dairy or eggs each day, 3 or more servings of vegetables and fruit and 1 serving of citrus or tomatoes or cabbage or salad.

By the 1950s, the government suggested 4 or more servings of fruits and veggies per day, expanding to 3 or more servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit in the 1980s. The 1980s saw the introduction of the food guide pyramid which we still use today. If you would like to peruse the many versions of the food guide pyramid, check out this website: https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets

And just in time for our trends article, Ghost, a lifestyle brand, has launched a high protein cold cereal in marshmallow and peanut butter flavors, with 17 grams of protein, 6 grams of sugar and calcium and potassium, selling on-line for $10 a box. Just as a comparison, a similar serving of Cheerios with milk and sliced banana has 7 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and calcium and potassium, with a similar-sized box selling locally for $4. The protein difference could be made up with 4 ounces (½ cup) of Greek yogurt. Decisions, decisions…

On a fragrant note, floral flavors are back in fashion. According to McCormick Science Institute and Innova Market Insights, 33% of global consumers sought more floral flavors in 2023. To provide a bit of historical perspective, in the 1770s colonists used bee balm as a substitute for black tea, in the 1800s, Victorians went a bit over the top, flavoring syrups, sauces, beverages, potatoes, poultry, seafood and candy with dandelions. In 1974, spirulina, blue-green algae was declared by the UN as “the best food for the future.”

Over the past five years, rose, chamomile, chrysanthemum, hibiscus and cherry blossom have grown in popularity by at least fifteen percent, compared to the previous five years. If you over-buy floral teas, you can use them flavoring agents in cooking water for hard-cooked eggs, or poaching or steaming water for poultry, seafood and vegetables. If anyone would like to learn how to use rose petals, violet petals, hibiscus flower or nasturtiums from the garden (no pesticide, please) to flavor or scent teas, chocolate or even hand lotion, please email!