Instead of going all “new year, new grocery list” on you, allow us to simply suggest a few of-the-moment healthy additions to your daily fare. Setting aside the old standards—avocados, dark chocolate, maybe a bag of Hot Cheetos here and there (… it’s all about balance, right?)—a number of buzzy new products are totally worth the hype. Whole Foods recently released its list of top trends for 2017, which got us thinking about the foods we’re most excited to consume and cook with in abundance this year. Here, nine goodies to add to your cart the next time you hit the market.
Trendy Eats
We know what you're thinking: These don't sound nearly as palatable as your daily latte, green tea, Diet Coke, et al. But before you relegate them to the very bottom of the list, note their purported health benefits and consider them as a natural substitute for soda (plus, they honestly don't taste as bad as they sound). Popular juice brand Suja offers blends that include good-for-your-gut probiotics and contain less than 30 calories per bottle.
For those adhering to the Paleo Diet, coconut wraps are a godsend. These tortilla alternatives (that happen to be free of gluten, dairy and soy) are great for lunch stuffed with whatever veggies and protein your heart desires. It's no secret that coconut oil has been a breakout star of the wellness movement in recent years, and the craze continues with this yummy by-product.
When it comes to indulgent dishes, one can never get enough pasta. You with us? We could never give it up entirely (or we could and be sad, angry little souls), but with a new wave of healthy alternatives hitting the shelves, we definitely don't have to. Noodles made from quinoa in particular offer a gluten-free option that's packed with protein. Others include lentil and black-bean varieties (looking at you, Trader Joe's).
For an even lighter version, zucchini noodles are a cinch to make, so long as you have a spiralizer handy. We love this simple yet irresistible recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Easy cookbook—it's great for dinner with a piece of grilled fish on top.
If you're as big a fan of yams and sweet potatoes as we are, swapping in the orange root's violet-hued sister is a fun shake-up. This varietal is more dense than a traditional sweet potato, and thus typically requires longer cooking. Whole Foods notes that the rich purple color "often indicates nutrient density and antioxidants," which makes us feel less guilty about using it in rich dishes like creamy vegan sweet-potato pie and oven-baked fries.
We already predicted our fungi friends would be big in 2017, and we're sticking to it, but it can be difficult to know which variety to go with. For that we turn to our friend Tero Isokauppila, founder of superfood purveyor Four Sigmatic, who notes, "The two trendiest right now are chaga, which can help fight pathogens and lower inflammation, and lion's mane, touted for its possible brain and nervous system protecting properties." Try them in your coffee, or use in a healing broth.
One of the most buzzed-about ingredients of 2016 thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric will go even more mainstream in 2017. A particularly delicious way to take it is in a "golden milk" concoction. There are several different variations on the recipe, but most include almond milk (or a similar creamy beverage of your choice), ginger and cinnamon. Here is one that incorporates coffee for a latte-like treat, while this one is more of a straightforward, non-caffeinated tonic. Not feeling the spice in liquid form? Click here for more simple ways to add it to your diet.
This ginormous tropical fruit—the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, to be exact—seemingly came out of nowhere last year when it swept the Internet (and Pinterest). Jackfruit is being used as a meat substitute (yes, you read that right) and has already started popping up at health food restaurants around the US to wild acclaim—it's pretty delicious and serves as yet another protein-packed ingredient to add to dishes should you tire of tofu, tempeh and the like. Click here for three savory recipes incorporating jackfruit.
We dare you to think beyond salt and pepper—a deluge of spices, oils and toppings are serving as new (and healthy) ways to flavor dishes. Think: black sesame tahini, ghee (which is a staple in Selena Gomez's trainer's pantry), nutritional yeast, avocado oil, black garlic and many, many more. Try cooking with these in addition to (or instead of) your go-tos to switch things up this year.
Black garlic comes to us via Asia, where it's long been touted for its health benefits. Created through a process similar to fermentation, it boasts twice the antioxidant levels of unfermented garlic, according to some studies. Black garlic can be used in cooking the same way as roasted garlic. You can buy it at select Whole Foods markets or online at Black Garlic City.
