Bella Adams
Every year, there are products or diets that no one has heard of before, but they attract consumers with their novelty and alleged health benefits. Bloggers write about them, nutritionists talk about them, and marketers instantly pick them up. And now, quinoa, green buckwheat, and matcha tea are becoming commonplace in our kitchen. We enthusiastically share our gluten-free diet experience with our friends, buy chia yogurt in the supermarket, and order smoothies in cafes.
Remember, we knew nothing about most of these foods, dishes, or diets five years ago. We’re talking about popular nutrition trends that are gaining momentum in the West and are gradually becoming familiar to Ukrainians.
Diets and foods you’ve never heard of before
- Flexitarianism
Do you follow a healthy diet, eat plant-based foods, and only occasionally have meat or fish dishes on your table? Then this is about you. You are a flexitarian. The basic principles of this diet are the consumption of vegetables, herbs, and whole grains, and the avoidance of white sugar and chemically processed foods. Dairy and meat products are allowed in minimal quantities.
- Postbiotics
Everyone knows the benefits of consuming pre-and probiotics. But postbiotics have only recently been discussed.
Postbiotics are a new concept in the field of functional food. They are the end products of fermentation that takes place in the intestines with the help of probiotics. Essentially, postbiotics are metabolites, and their chemical composition is diverse: fractions of microbial cells, proteins, fatty acids, polysaccharides, and many other beneficial compounds. Currently, research is underway into the antioxidant properties of postbiotics and their impact on the intestines and immune system.
Where can I find these substances? It’s simple: they are found in the same foods as probiotics, namely kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Keep this in mind, because most likely, very soon you will receive a lot of advertisements for dietary supplements based on postbiotics.
- Microgreens
Also known as microgreens. This trend is not entirely new, but it is gaining popularity. These are young shoots of various plants, the benefit of which lies in a concentrated set of trace elements, vitamins, and proteins. The content of nutrients in such sprouts is much higher than in adult plants.
After sowing, it takes 7-10 days for the microgreens to be ready for consumption. They are added to salads and smoothies and garnish main dishes.
You can grow microgreens of radish, wheat, broccoli, watercress, alfalfa, peas, basil, and other plants. The most useful are cilantro, daikon, amaranth, and red cabbage. Seeds and kits for growing microgreens are easy to find in Epicenter’s online catalogs. Currently, their prices in the Epicenter range from 70-80 UAH.
- Kale cabbage
Other names are kale, kale, brown kale, drunk, and black kale. It is an extremely popular crop abroad. Not everyone in Ukraine is familiar with it because kale is only now beginning to be grown here. But we are sure you will hear more about it soon.
This plant is cold-resistant, so you can grow it in the cold season and have it on your table when there is a shortage of fresh vegetables. Large leaves of kale have a high content of trace elements, vitamins, and other useful compounds. Kale tastes amazing. We recently wrote about the beneficial properties of kale. An interesting property of kale is that it becomes sweeter after freezing.
- Kelp (sea kale)
Recently, in the United States, this representative of brown algae has been called the “new kale”. In addition to iodine, this superfood contains almost 20 vitamins and minerals, soluble fiber, and amino acids. It is gaining popularity right now. The reason is that this delicious low-calorie product does not require much effort to grow and grows very quickly.
Kelp can be consumed dried, fresh, grated, fermented, pickled, steamed, and added to a variety of dishes. This seaweed is not only a great component of a healthy diet but also good for the environment by removing carbon and nitrogen from the atmosphere.
- Chickpeas
This legume is valued for its high protein and fiber content. In Ukraine, chickpeas are mostly consumed in the form of such a famous dish as hummus. In Western countries, chickpeas are used to make pasta and chips and added to salads, soups, and other dishes. Green early chickpeas (young garbanzos) are gaining popularity, as they are similar to peas and sweeter.
- Climate diet
It is also called climate eating. This trend is still little known in Ukraine. Such a diet may be of interest to those who, while taking care of a healthy diet, cannot stay away from global environmental issues. The way humanity eats has a major impact on the climate.
So if you want to contribute to slowing down climate change, consider this diet. It involves eliminating or at least reducing the consumption of foods with a high carbon footprint, such as meat and cheese. It is recommended to eat grains, legumes, algae, and fish. It is important to consume local seasonal products and use environmentally friendly packaging.
- In conclusion
It should be noted that the main trend in healthy eating today is an emphasis on the consumption of minimally processed plant-based foods. More and more attention is also focused on doing less harm to the environment. Gluten-free, keto, and paleo diets remain popular, although the attitude towards them is more moderate. In fact, many products around us are affordable and healthy. It’s up to you, but remember that your diet should be balanced. And stay healthy!
