Wellness tonics
Whole Foods expects to see healthful bottled beverages that pack powerful benefits from superfood ingredients pick up steam. Look out for drinks with add-ins including maca, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar. (Turmeric has been shown to have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and apple cider vinegar may help regulate blood sugar and boost digestive health.)
Products from byproducts
Trend forecasters predict food manufacturers will create new foods from manufacturing products that are typically thrown away. Whey from yogurt production will be used to create probiotic drinks, and the liquid left over after cooking chickpeas (called aquafaba) will be repurposed to make a vegan “mayonaise.” (In fact, one brand is already doing that.)
Coconut everything
We’ll take your coconut oil and raise you a coconut tortilla. Coconut is now popping up in the form of sandwich wraps, chips, and other “who knew that existed?” products featuring the fan-favorite superfood.
Japanese food beyond sushi
The Japanese diet has received praise over the past year thanks to new research that linked the dietary practices (which involve loading up on fish, plants, and vegetables) to a longer life. But in addition to sushi (and those sushirritos we’ve seen all over Instagram), Whole Foods is anticipating less-expected ways that the diet will inspire your everyday eating. An example? More Japanese condiments may earn a permanent in your pantry, such as ponzu, miso, and sesame oil.
Creative condiments
New tastebud-arousing dips include beet salsa and habanero jam; black sesame tahini and ghee may become your new staples.
Rethinking pasta
Gluten-free noodles made from chickpeas, quinoa, and lentils are still gaining popularity. For the “zoodle” (zucchini noodle) fans out there, spiralized veggies will continue to own the spotlight, along with other exciting plant options, like kelp noodles.
Purple power
Recipes, packaged snacks and other foods of a certain hue include purple asparagus, purple cauliflower, purple sweet potatoes, black rice, acai and more.
Going flexitarian
The New Year in nutrition will be about doing healthy eating your way. Get used to the buzzword “flexitarian,” which typically means semi-vegetarian. But Whole Foods expects to see that definition expand to encompass any sort of personalized nutrition, or when you just don’t fit into a perfect strict diet category, like gluten-free or vegan. Good news if you’re a kinda-sorta meat eater, or sometimes Paleo, other times not.
Mindful meal prep
In 2017, meal prepping will focus on more than trying to eat better, or hoping to save money on expensive food court lunches. The next level: being more cognizant of food waste and trying to stretch every grocery purchase into as many meals as possible, or using what Whole Foods calls a “make some-buy some” approach (that is, preparing a main dish from scratch and using store-bought items as side dishes).
/Time/
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