2015: Top nutrition trends predicted

After the excesses of the holiday season, most people’s thoughts turn to dieting in the new year - even if the diet only lasts until Australia Day. So what will the top nutrition trends be for 2015?

Pollock Communications and nutrition trade magazine Today’s Dietitian surveyed more than 500 registered dieticians about their predictions for what will trend in nutrition in 2015.

While kale and coconut are still trendy choices, seeds and nuts will be the top two superfoods in 2015. Greek yoghurt, ancient grains and avocado are also expected to be popular. While low-fat diets are on the way out (thank goodness!), gluten-free is here to stay - for a little longer, at least. Consumers will be focused on food that’s GM-free, locally grown and high in quality protein.

Health and wellbeing is tipped to be a major focus for 2015, according to the survey, with 70% of dieticians saying that consumers will be more interested in nutrition and weight loss in 2015 than in 2014.

Here’s the top picks of the 15 predictions made for 2015:

Sprinkle your superfoods

More than half (54%) of registered dieticians named seeds and nuts as the reigning superfoods of 2015. Kale will retain its title as Queen of Greens, with most nutrition experts surveyed saying that kale, Greek yoghurt, coconut products and avocado will be the prevailing healthy choices for consumers.

Go green

Green tea scored high marks with dieticians, with 35% selecting it as the drink of choice due to its myriad health benefits.

A ‘beef’ with protein

Most consumers view animal-based protein as high-quality sources of protein, but the truth is that not all proteins are equal, according to nutrition professionals. Nutrition experts recommend fish, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts, poultry and dairy as healthy, high-quality proteins, followed by soy. Red meat is less popular with nutrition professionals, most likely due to its saturated fat and cholesterol content, plus the significant environmental footprint required to produce it.

Gluten-free still holds sway

66% of experts surveyed think that gluten-free or wheat-free diets will maintain popularity throughout 2015. “Regardless of the lack of evidence to support eating a wheat-or gluten-free diet for weight loss, consumers believe that eliminating foods with certain ingredients will help them lose weight or be healthier,” said Jenna A Bell, PhD, a registered dietician who is Pollock Communications’ senior vice president and director of food and wellness.

Trends like ‘clean eating’ and the Paleo diet - which often dictate dieters go gluten-free - are predicted to be popular eating trends in 2015.

Old is new

Despite a strong focus on grain-free diets, ancient grains like amaranth, quinoa, spelt and freekeh - not all of which are gluten-free - will be popular in 2015, according to half of all dieticians surveyed.

Low-fat: so 1980s

As low-carb diets wax, low-fat diets are on the wane. For yet another consecutive year, dieticians predict that low-fat diets will fail to garner support in 2015. In fact, just 4% named it as a popular eating trend.

Since fat is no longer considered the root of all evil, the question everyone is now asking is ‘which kind of fat?’. 84% of nutrition experts said that consumers should replace saturated fat with ‘good’ fats - mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

“We found that dieticians are making recommendations that align with current guidelines for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association,” said Bell.

What’s in a label?

Consumers will be looking more closely at labels in 2015, seeking out ingredient lists that include GMO-free, gluten-free, clean ingredients and organic features highlighted. 69% of dieticians said that GMO-free labels are most important to their clients.

No compromise

Despite the vast number of nutrition trends in existence, there are three things that consumers look for when buying food: convenience, taste and price. Nutrition experts agree that, regardless of what’s trending in the nutrition world, there are some things that shoppers just won’t sacrifice.

“Dieticians are at the forefront of everyday eating habits and purchasing decisions of people from all regional and economic environments, so it makes perfect sense to tap their expertise when it comes to forecasting nutrition trends,” said Mara Honicker, publisher of Today’s Dietitian.