Awesome healthy eating trends in 2017

Veggie yoghurt? Watermelon water? These are just two of the healthy eating trends predicted for the coming year in research conducted by the supermarket Waitrose. Intrigued?

Let’s take a look at how we ate in 2016 and what you can get excited about in 2017.

• Health food trends in 2016 included being 'veggan' (vegan eating and eggs); coconut flour; chia seeds; buckwheat; and... cactus water.
• 70% of us regard healthy eating as part of our identity.
• One in five Brits posted a photo of food on social media - or sent one to a friend - in the last month. I love storing snacks in retro style tins, which look great in pictures. But a quarter of us worry that social media prevents us from engaging at mealtimes. So once you’ve taken your snap, put your phone down and catch up with your dining buddy.
• Busy Londoners are the most likely to dine ’al desko’. If you can’t escape the desk, you can still eat mindfully by slowing down and really tasting your food, which also calms your digestion. The good news is, half of us eat a piece of fruit with our lunch. Add some salad and gut-friendly kimchi or sauerkraut to get even closer to your five a day.
• The popularity of 'dry January' is on the rise. A great non-alcoholic aperitif is the Italian mixer Sanbitter, which tastes just like Campari when added to soda water. Bitter flavours are thought to stimulate digestion, too.
• Mini versions of desserts are increasingly popular – think baby hot cross buns for Easter. There’s definitely space for a little of what you fancy in the context of a healthy diet.
• UK sales of free-from (e.g. gluten or lactose) food products are expected to grow more than 40% by 2020. These tend to be processed foods, which can lack nutrients. And they often contain high FODMAP ingredients, like apple or onion, which can actually be the true cause of digestive problems. So chat to a registered nutritional therapist before you decide to go gluten or lactose free.
• The latest carbohydrate substitute is aubergine. It’s low in FODMAPs, which is helpful if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or symptoms like bloating. I layer aubergine slices in lasagne instead of pasta sheets, but you can also slice it and bake for healthy chips!

Now, just circling back to those 2017 food trends I mentioned at the start. Veggie yoghurt: Mmm, I'm not sure. Do I really want my yoghurt to taste of carrots? And watermelon water: Isn't that just juice? It’s going be a fun year of trying new tastes and seeing which ones stick.