A new year brings with it new fads and trends in the world of food and nutrition.

While there have been some trends that have been rooted in evidence and stuck around for years, others are more obscure and fleeting.

A word of warning when it comes to food and nutrition trends… while there are some trends that are fantastic and are certainly worthwhile adding to your repertoire – others are utter nonsense and should be avoided if possible.

Here, Anna and Alex (TBT’s co-founders) share their predictions for the food and diet trends to take the world by storm in 2023.

 

1. Tinned fish

In 2022 a tik tok video featuring a ‘tinned fish date night’ went viral. Essentially it is a spread of different tinned fish and crackers (referred to as ‘seacuterie boards’) and they seem to be coming more popular!

We’re also seeing more and more people using tinned fish in home cooked meals. From anchovy frittatas and fried rice to mackerel fish tacos and pizza, tinned fish has been taken to a whole new level!

Our take: We are 100% onboard with this trend! Tinned fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and protein and tends to be lower in mercury than other fish.

 

2. Plant-based pasta

First it was zucchini noodle pasta, then came along pulse pasta (pasta made from chickpeas, lentils etc). Wholefoods Market in America are now predicting that the plant based pasta alternatives are going to ramp up to help us all increase our veggie and fruit intake. How does ‘green banana fusilli’ sound to you?

Our take: Yes! Innovation in the food industry is exciting and we love to see new products popping up that enable the inclusion of more plant foods in our diet. It’s important to read the nutrition information and ensure the pasta you’re picking is the right one for you, but overall a trend that encourages veggie intake gets our tick of approval!

 

3. Time restricted eating

Recently we have seen new research pop up around time restricted eating. This essentially involves thinking about your “eating window” each day. It isn’t about fasting for extended periods, cutting meals or cutting foods, more so just looking at how long you are eating for from start to finish. The research suggests that narrowing this window may be beneficial. For example if you currently eat in a 14 hour window, perhaps looking to reduce this to 12 hours or even 10 hours may prove beneficial.

Our take: We still need to see more research on this one, but what we are hearing makes sense. We like that this doesn’t involve restricting entire meals and that it can help people to be more mindful about how late they finish eating.

 

4. Plant based eating

This trend has popped up in our food and nutrition predictions for the past few years and we expect it’s here to stay! It may not be new but plant based eating is still rising in popularity as one of the biggest health food trends. We predict we are going to continue to see a variety of plant-based food products popping up on supermarket shelves.

Our take: Whether you’re a vegetarian or just vowing to increase your intake of plants, there are many benefits linked to a plant-focussed diet. However, be careful of some of the plant-based meat alternatives – nutritionally they don’t always stack up.

 

5. Vintage Eats

Hands up if you’re keen for some new and improved versions of your childhood food favourites? Tiktok again is onto something with #vintagerecipes trending with more than 31.3 million views. Expect to see things like macaroni and cheese, pizza bites….with a healthy twist we hope!

Our take: This is one you need to be mindful of. Just because something trends on Tiktok does not mean it is a healthy habit you should adopt. If in doubt, get in touch with us and we’d be happy to share our thoughts.

 

6. Immune, Gut & Brain Health

These areas have been gaining momentum over the last few years. The research is constantly growing and supporting the claim that gut health is critical to our overall health. Of course with this being a trend it means there will be quick fixes and supplements popping up that promise amazing benefits for your immune system, gut and brain so you just need to be mindful of this and skeptical when you come across new products or diets.

Our take: We are all about supporting the immune system, gut and brain through food and nutrition.

 

7. Eating for Longevity

This is another area of nutrition research that seems to be growing. Who doesn’t want to live a long, healthy and disease free life? More research is stacking up to show just how powerful diet, exercise and stress management are in helping individuals move closer to this goal.

Our take: While there’s no one perfect diet guaranteed for longevity, there are certainly nutrition principles that can be applied to support individuals and promote longevity. We’re excited to see new research in this field and how we can apply it to our lifestyles.

 

8. Alcohol Free Drinks

The alcohol-free (or mindful drinking) trend seems to be growing at a fast past. Non-alcoholic beer, wine, cider and spirits have increased by more than 83% in the last 12 months and it seems this trend is here to stay!

Our take: We are big fans of this trend. Paying more attention to your intake of alcohol is a benefit for everyone and we’re glad there are more options for those who choose not to drink. We recommend keeping a watchful eye on your chosen non-alcoholic beverage and ensure it’s not loaded with sugar.

 

Notes