With the new year comes new fads, and 2017 is no different. Here’s a closer look at why you should try out some of this year’s trends.

Eating Your Veggies

From pinterest to Michelin-starred restaurants to meatless butchers opening across the country, it’s clear that vegetarian meals are finally going mainstream. About a quarter of Americans are actively cutting down on their overall meat consumption and occasionally swapping in vegetarian meals, leading food makers to develop more meat-like alternatives that may have made vegans squirm. (The Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger bleed beet juice!) If a totally meat-free life sounds intimidating, go flexitarian and choose less meals with meat, poultry and fish; reach for vegetarian meals with a meaty flavor like lentil soup; or ease yourself in with partial substitutions. Add one part mushrooms or black beans to two parts beef for a meaty but more healthy burger.  

Why we like this trend:

Americans simply aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables! Per the CDC in a recent study, 76% of adults did not eat the recommended 1 ½ - 2 cups of fruit per day, and 87% did not eat the recommended 2 - 3 cups of vegetables per day. Not only is a plant-based diet rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients but it contains fewer calories and fat, meaning vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, weight less, and have a lower risk of heart disease. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Research shows that those who eat less meat have a 30 percent less chance of dying than their beef loving counterparts, so small changes can add up to a big impact. Need more convincing? Recent studies have found a boost in mood after just two weeks of eating more fruits and veggies! 

Still in:

Two of last years trends are still gaining momentum! Even more products are coming out featuring probiotics (chips and popcorn, anyone?). And with 50% of foods produced going to waste, it’s still trendy to find ways to cook parts of foods that usually get chucked in the trash and using nutritious but not-as-pretty ugly vegetables.