As we head into spring, more and more people will be thinking about how they can lose weight and get healthier by summertime. Of course, as a nutritionist, I know firsthand that what you put into your body has EVERYTHING to do with how you look and feel.
One of the things I love best about my job is staying on top of new trends. As our medical and science fields advance, we learn even more about how to optimize for our best selves and our best health.
With this in mind, I wanted to share some of the top nutrition trends of 2020.
1. A Focus on Prebiotics
Just when you finally got the hang of taking a probiotic supplement, it’s time to shift focus and start thinking about the benefits and necessities of prebiotics. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria your gut needs to stay healthy. But prebiotics are the dietary fibers that feed the probiotics.
So if you’ve only been focusing on populating your gut with more of the good guys, you’re only winning half the battle. If you want your gut health to be fully optimized, you need to support those probiotics with prebiotics.
2. Puffs are Overtaking the Chip Market
I can remember a time I walked down the potato chip aisle and only saw one brand of puffed snacks available. Now they are EVERYWHERE. It makes sense because most of these snacks really are a healthier alternative to potato chips, offering more protein and fewer carbs. Now we are seeing more varieties of puffs including chickpea puffs, paleo puffs, honey puffs, and baked peanut puffs.
3. A Focus on Protein
It seems food manufacturers have been listening to consumers wondering if they are getting enough protein because we are now seeing it crop up in the oddest places. How about Stok’s new protein cold brew coffee? And you’ll be seeing more protein in pasta made from lentils, black beans, chickpeas, and edamame.
4. Dairy is Going All-In
In recent years, innovations in dairy have centered on taking dairy out of things or replacing dairy altogether for those who are lactose intolerant. But we are seeing dairy get interesting upgrades.
For instance, there are more lactose-free ice creams coming onto the market that are made from real dairy. Oikos is now offering a protein-packed caffeinated drink, and cottage cheeses are now becoming the new yogurt, offering double cream and fruit-flavored cup varieties.
As you can see, many of the nutrition “trends” this year fall under the umbrella of common sense, as in, if you must snack, choose healthier options, support your gut health and be sure you get enough protein in your diet. For these reasons, I can personally endorse these trends I have been seeing!
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