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Food Trends 2019

There are many food trends for 2019, but I am proposing some of my own and I encourage you to do the same! If you love peanut butter you may fall in love with tahini which became popular a few years ago when we used this ground sesame seed spread to jazz up the flavor of hummus (i.e., roasted red bell pepper or butternut squash). The new food trend is to add it to desserts versus just savory dishes. You may purchase it in chocolate or classic flavors and substitute many desserts or savory foods that call for peanut butter (i.e., smoothie or brownies).
Fast foods for pick up will become dated because many brands are starting to deliver. Starbuck’s now delivers via Uber Eats and the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell are partnering with GrubHub. While it may be wonderful to have your signature coffee (i.e., pumpkin spice latte) delivered, the home delivery of fast food  may increase the frequency of binge episodes for people who have binge eating disorder (BED). And, the long term influence of this new trend on childhood obesity could be problematic since many parents already pick up fast food. The key is to consider healthy options on their menus and if you do indulge do it in moderation and occasionally.
Veganism was reminiscent of hippies at Woodstock or those who wore Birkenstocks, but this year it will become more popular. A few years ago my husband and I attended my lovely niece and her brilliant wife’s wedding in Bisbee, Arizona which is a charming historical town. We were served a Southwestern style vegan meal and much to my surprise it was delectable. Being married to an Englishman for almost 25 years and our frequent travels to the UK, it is interesting to see that many of the pubs are now serving the “bleeding” vegan burger which looks like the real thing. This trend is popping up in America too. All-vegan restaurant chains like ByChloe make it more accessible and TGI Fridays is offering more vegan options on their menu nationwide.
As clinical director of Walker Wellness Clinic at Cooper Aerobics Center, where we work daily with body image issues, we honor one’s food philosophy whether they are  vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, carnivore, etc. However, our dietitians do a computerized nutritional analysis to confirm that the patient is getting their nutritional needs met via their food intake such as calcium and protein.
My new food trends and culinary experiences for 2019 are meant to normalize your eating habits:
Satisfy your cravings by asking yourself the simple question: “What sounds good?” In lieu of planning your meals around what you cannot have such as your list of forbidden foods (i.e., no carbs). Face your fears and educate yourself on why complex carbohydrates are necessary to provide energy as a source of fuel that you need for physical activity and healthy brain and organ function.
If you avoid or omit the foods that you love all of the time you may feel deprived (i.e., 80% of people overeat due to deprivation). Spice things up a bit and add variety (i.e., Asian, Mexican, and Italian) in your diet to keep it interesting.
Simplify meal planning by actually assembling some meals (i.e., my caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and store bought pesto). Use family apps to teach your kids to cook and delegate to make it a family affair. Use the multi-cooker to save time and prepare healthy fast food (i.e., Texas tortilla soup).
Make food an adventure since it is meant to be pleasurable. I collect cookbooks and books from different places during our travels. Experiment with one new recipe a month from a different region in the world and download new recipes or purchase cookbooks from different cities or countries. Learn new factoids about that country (i.e., cook Moroccan food with a tagine) for a wonderful culinary experience. If you have not traveled to that destination, put it on your bucket list and you will be ready to celebrate the food and culture.

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