2016: the year of Moringa tea, savoury desserts and camel milk. Wait, really?!
The new year always brings myriad new foodie trends, from the delectable to the downright bizarre. And while many of these pass into the mainstream, many more fall squarely into the fad category.
Now that we’re halfway through the year (yes, already!), how many have survived? We’ve rounded up some trends making their mark in 2016 and given our verdict on whether they’re fact, or just a passing fad.
Trend 1: Chickpea flour.
Chickpea flour (AKA besan flour) is a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic cooking. It’s higher in protein and more nutritionally dense than refined white flour.
Sarah has even taken to grinding her own fermented and soaked chickpeas to make it from scratch. Try it in this recipe for Caramelised Leek, Apple + Rosemary Socca Pancakes.
Verdict: Fact
Trend 2: Tea-toxing.
Your daily cuppa is full of health benefits. But using it as a meal replacement isn’t one of them!
Tea-toxing programs like this one involve drinking a “detoxifying” tea blend morning and night, which promises to stimulate your metabolism, suppress your appetite and cleanse your colon.
However, this tea contains the natural laxative senna leaf, too much of which can lead to cramps diarrhoea, headaches, vomiting and dizziness. We’d rather detox with our Corn Fritters with Bacon and Avocado Salsa, thanks.
Verdict: Fad.
Trend 3: Bowl meals.
Forget plating. The latest food trend is all about dishing up dinner in a bowl.
But before you fill yours with spoonfuls of ice cream, the trick is to focus on healthy, nutritious, balanced ingredients like proteins, greens veggies and whole grains.
If you’re looking for healthy bowl ideas, watch this space. We’re writing about it soon.
Verdict: Fact
Trend 4: Turmeric.
The rise of this super spice continues. In fact, a recent Google report shows that searches for turmeric have more than doubled since last year! (With powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, we’re really not surprised.)
Save yourself the search and try our recipe for Turmeric Protein Bark.
Verdict: Fact.
Trend 5: Cooking with native foods.
Who needs to travel to Peru to sample the next superfood?
Wild Australian bush tucker, like wattleseed, warrigal greens and cinnamon myrtle, is positioning itself as a nutritious and sustainable food trend to be reckoned with. And you can literally find them in your backyard! (Just make sure you do your research before tucking into an unknown plants.)
Verdict: Fact.
Trend 6: Juice bars.
The rising swell of of sugar awareness continues. Its latest victim? The popularity of juice bars is in decline, as more people learn that freshly squeezed juices are little more than concentrated sources of liquid sugar.
We’d like to see bone broth bars trending instead!
Verdict: Fad.
Trend 7: Matcha tea.
We’ve had a love affair with this powdered green tea for a while now. And while we still heart the delicious taste it brings when cooking with it, new research suggests that the best health benefits come from drinking it as a brewed tea.
Verdict: On the fence.
Trend 8: Moringa.
We predicted it back in January and it looks like we were right: Moringa may well be matcha tea 2.0. Revered in Ayurvedic circles for hundreds of years, this antioxidant-rich brew is fast becoming the hot superfood of 2016.
Verdict: Fact.
Trend 9: Sorrel.
Sorrel – aka spinach dock – may be the new kale, but better. One cup of this green contains three grams of protein, four grams of fibre, vitamins A and C, and more potassium than a banana. Pass us another serve!
Verdict: Fact.
Have you tried many of these food trends? What are your predictions for the rest of 2016?
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