Trend No. 1: Bitter foods are here to stay. If you’re noticing a bump in bitter food options at restaurants across the country, get used to it, says Ashley Koff, RD, a dietitian in Washington, DC. “Bitter was once a flavor even foodies avoided,” she says. “Now, dark chocolate, fermented foods, and greens like escarole, endive, and frisee have solidified their place in the limelight.” Haven’t yet embraced the bitter? Koff recommends combining bitter foods with something sweet. For example, you might pair bitter greens with raisins or roasted pumpkin or sweet potato. “Another great way to mellow the bitterness in greens is to sauté them in coconut oil,” says Koff. Trend No. 2: The snack attack is back. Food companies are going to be introducing even more fresh-yet-portable snack options in the new year, says Koff, in part because the snack market is growing fast. According to Euromonitor, Millennials eat an average 3.05 snacks per day (compared to Gen Xers, who eat 2.26, and Boomers, who eat 1.53). Get ready to see more pre-packaged, portion-controlled mini-meals on store shelves. MORE: 11 New Clean Packaged Snacks That Will Totally Satisfy Your Greasy Takeout Craving Trend No. 3: Healthy convenience options are on the rise. Americans are getting the message loud and clear: Preparing our own meals means a much higher likelihood that those meals will be cleaner and healthier than what we’d get if we ate out. Yet we’re busier than ever, which means we’re looking for fresh, nutritious, high-quality products that we can turn into a healthy meal in no time flat. “We’re going to be seeing even more time-saving conveniences like bagged organic salad greens and pre-cut vegetables, which make it easier for consumers to eat better,” says Koff. Abigail Keeso, RN, a registered nurse and co-founder of That Clean Life agrees. “More and more people are realizing how important it is to eat at home, yet they still don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen,” says Keeso. “As a result, I think ‘15-minute meals’ will be big in 2016.” Trend No. 4: Home sprouting is growing. Steph Celic, a holistic chef in New York City, says she wouldn’t be surprised if at-home sprouting kits replace the Spiralizer as the hot new kitchen item in 2016. “I’ve been sprouting seeds and grains for clients for a few years, but now I’m seeing sprouting kits pop up in my local grocery store, along with special sprouting seeds,” says Celic. This may be because health experts call sprouts nutrition superstars, thanks to their high fiber content, protein, and B vitamins. They also contain digestive enzymes, which help us digest and absorb the nutrients in our food, says Celic. (Want to try this trend? Check out these 6 easy steps to sprouting grains at home.) Trend No. 5: Power bowls are even more common. Acai bowls had a moment in the clean-eating spotlight, and those antioxidant-packed bowls are now joined by others filled with all kinds of goodness—from ancient grains and organic veggies to chickpeas, nuts, sprouts, and greens, says Celic. “Some grocery and health food stores are starting to pre-package these bowls, making it even easier to pack a nutritious lunch,” she says. MORE: 5 Tips for Turning a Bowl of Cereal into a Legit Healthy Dinner Trend No. 6: “Alkaline balance” is the new buzz word. Celic says many of her clients are asking for the 80/20 plate—80% alkaline foods (think greens and other veggies) and 20% acidic foods (like meat, wheat, and processed foods). While there’s not yet enough research to prove all of the health-boosting claims you might hear about an alkaline diet, many experts agree that choosing fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes over high-fat animal products and processed foods is inherently a good thing. Trend No. 7: The GMO debate is heating up. “There is already a lot of controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but I think this debate is going to become seriously intense in 2016 due to the recent decision to pass GMO salmon for human consumption,” says Keeso. Aaron von Frank, CEO of GrowJourney, a USDA-certified organic, heirloom seeds-of-the-month club agrees, predicting that home gardening will get even more popular as a result. “The controversy around GMOs will prompt consumers to become even more interested in ‘hyperlocal’ organic food than ever before,” he says. “They want to walk out their front door and harvest their own organically-grown, GMO-free produce, and home gardening allows them to do that.”
