What health trends can we expect in 2021?

Given that 2020 has thrown us some curveballs, you might expect the folks predicting future trends to make a pass this year. Or at least hedge their bets.

But no, the lists are out and, this year, they are bold. According to experts, after a year of health and wellness hyperconsciousness (thanks to COVID), next year’s food and nutrition trends will be firmly entrenched in wellness culture. In fact, many of the lists are less like trending pieces and more like New Year’s resolutions: eat more plants, drink less alcohol, and be very careful about what you put in your body.

In reality, the big food and drink stories for 2021 are likely more likely to involve queuing for any new fried chicken breakfast sensation, the embrace of hard soda with crush flavors. orange and root beer, a new version of wine from Arby’s and the triumphant return of bacon-wrapped fried donut hot dogs at the Ex. (In all seriousness, we hope that the CNE will return in 2021.)

While we doubt everyone is going their own way this year, we decided to try out some of the most frequently cited upcoming food trends to see if they’re even worth paying attention to.

Green energy

Whole Foods says walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower are poised to challenge olive oil’s supremacy, but my money’s on the avocado oil.

For the record, I don’t think olive oil is going anywhere, but it’s good to have some alternatives, because olive oil has a low ‘smoke point’ and can’t be used for cook food at high temperature. Avocado oil, on the other hand, has a high smoke point and is nutritionally quite similar to olive oil. It’s also mild in taste, so avocado haters don’t have to worry about their eggs tasting like guac. It is also brilliant in salads. I sampled Chosen Foods line of salad dressings, cooking oils and sprays and was delighted to find that they were all delicious, even the mayonnaise.

Alt-Flour

Even if you don’t care about gluten or carbs, there are new flour alternatives that are just as good as conventional flour, if not better. Our new favorite is cassava, which we loved after trying Que Pasa’s exceptionally light, crispy and slightly sweet tortilla chips, made in British Columbia from cassava instead of corn. Que Pasa are keto-friendly, vegan and gluten free and still manages to taste awesome.

Partly because it also makes a good flour, chickpeas are being touted as a future star of “healthier” snacks. Example: Lebby Dark Chocolate Chickpea Snack, a perfectly crunchy and not too sweet dessert type thing. Experts say we’re going to see lots of legume breads and creative baked goods made with interesting plants this year. We are happy to try them all. Except Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi. It’s just weird.

Beyond dairy

Following in the footsteps of fake meat, the global vegan ‘cheese’ market is expected to reach $2.5 billion this year, thanks to a growing number of people seeking alternatives to dairy and animal agriculture for health, ethical and/or environmental reasons.

Violife, a Greek company expanding into Canada, offers six types of vegan ‘cheese’: a ‘cream cheese’, a ‘feta’, grated ‘cheddar’ and ‘mozzarella’, a ‘parmesan’ and every Canadian’s favourite, “slices”. (in slices), so that vegans can finally enjoy melting grilled sandwiches. (The “cheese” actually melts.) Of the six, the mozzarella and slices tasted the best; the cream cheese and feta were sorely lacking in flavor. Better not to talk about “parmesan”. None had the texture, fat, and umami that makes eating cheese one of the best experiences available to humans.

That said, I’m not the target market here. I can see this being a popular sandwich filling for vegans. I’m a die-hard “real food” fan, but understand that it’s a dying breed.

Functional foods

I’m still confused by this term, so I looked it up. According to the Mayo Clinic, these are “foods that have a potentially positive effect outside of nutrition.” I’m sure we used to call these “health foods” or “fortified foods”. A few years later they were known as “super foods” but, you know, capitalism has to constantly reinvent itself, so I’m fine with calling them something different now.

Many ingredients can fall into the functional food group, but three of the most important are fermented foods, a range of mushrooms and honey, particularly Manuka honey, which is harvested in New Zealand and sold as a panacea for a number of conditions.

I don’t think there’s much evidence to back it up as a panacea, but Wedderspoon Canada Manuka Honey is certainly flavorful, thick, and rich. Plus, they make honey cough drops and lip balm, which will come in handy now that winter has officially arrived. As for the kimchi, sauerkraut and mushrooms, well, bring them. These foods are delicious and it is a function that matters to me.

Speaking of fermentation, a few lists have made hard kombucha the next big thing in the world of functional drinks. We have at least one local version, Pombucha, a cider and booch blend made in Toronto, and it’s awesome. I am here for this.

Clarified butter

The GOOP set is obsessed with “ghee,” a form of clarified butter used in medicine, religious rituals, and many foods in India and Southeast Asia. GOOPsters use it as cooking oil, popcorn topping, and even instead of cream in their morning coffee. Nothing good can come of it. Clarified butter has its place but, for my taste, it’s more of an occasional thing than a three times a day thing. That’s a lot of saturated fat.

Greenwashing

Many lists offer sustainable foods, climate-friendly foods, and products made in accordance with regenerative agriculture, which is great but, frankly, quite difficult to decipher and decode. What is likely to happen is that many labels will suddenly appear on food, some of which will mean more than others. Trying to figure out which green foods are the real ones will probably only get trickier.

You can’t always believe the label, unfortunately, and the food industry is still sorely lacking in transparency – which we really wish would be trending in 2021.