The way you’ve been eating all your life is probably wrong, and that goes for every single one of us. At least, that’s what we hear at least once a year, some new way to eat or some new thing we can consume more or less of that will change everything about what we eat, how we eat, how we perceive the world, you know the schtick. Some of these trends have some legitimacy to them (ketogenic diets) and some of them just never did (paleo diets).
Just when I thought I’d be able to go most of the year without thinking about any of this dieting stuff, now I’m hearing about even more little nutrition trends that we’ll start seeing in every hip restaurant or cafe or blog about healthy eating and living. There’s legitimacy to some of them, and most of them have a certain “duh” factor to them (more vitamin D), but some are worth mentioning. So here I am, mentioning them.
Healthy Fats: Omega-9s
Now more than ever, the conversation of fat being something that’s actually healthy to consume carefully is one I’m seeing float around more and more. Ketogenic diets are based around this phenomenon, eat more fat and eat less sugar. It’s all very 2018, and the conversation is being delineated into things like Omega-9 cooking oil. Omega-9s are monounsaturated fats, helping regulate healthy blood sugar levels and promote healthy weight, since your body is basically built to burn them. Think of your body as a furnace, and Omega-9s as the coal.
Algae, believe it or not, is being used in the production of omega-9 cooking oil and doesn’t require any kind of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or any sort of chemical process to extract the fats, so this makes it the most popular bet. It’s smoke point is pretty high, 485 degrees, meaning you can use it to bake, roast, saute, pretty much anything.
Pseudo-Grains
That’s right folks, grains are O-U-T out. They take too long to cook and in our modern busy lives, we simply don’t have the patience or the time to cut out of our lightning fast routines to prepare them. Enter the pseudo-grain, carbohydrates that are really similar to grains, but are actually seeds that have grain-like properties. These cook a lot faster, are very absorbent and easy to season, making them the go-to choice for buying in large quantities for businesses or individuals looking to find a marriage between healthy and convenient.
Pseudo-grains are seeds like buckwheat, millet, quinoa and wild rice, things that aren’t quiet grains but can be served as them. It should be mentioned that this is also a gluten-free option, which make it even more appealing to a lot of people. Expect to see these popping up in dishes you might know for having grain, except…with one of these pseudo-grains in them instead.
Cottage Cheese
Remember when the look or stench of cottage cheese was enough to be the butt of a joke? Comparing something to cottage cheese was immediately an insult to the subject of the butt in question, but not anymore. People (and by people I mostly mean health-focused randos on the internet and Williamsburg, Brooklyn) cottage cheese is the new greek yogurt!
Cottage cheese is higher in protein than greek yogurt, as it’s mostly made of casein, a simple protein that helps your body feel full for longer periods of time. Due to its utility, companies have found more ways to keep cottage cheese a smooth, creamy, plain and odorless experience, making it a solid and viable replacement for its aforementioned greek counterpart. Plus, it’s low in sugar.
Keep an eye out for one or all of these hip new variations on your diet, you’re sure to see them pop up here and there throughout the year. Only time will tell which one of them stick, but hey, maybe they’ll just stick for your diet. Personally, I’m on board with finding ways to incorporate simple proteins and fats into my diet, trying to see if this keto thing everyone is talking about has any merit.
