What does 2016 have in store for us?

I took a look at 2016 food trend predictions out of curiosity. Now I'll have to look back at the end of the year and see what the trends really were. I often think about 'history repeating' itself when we look at trends or consider with amusement when a former garnish (kale) turns superfood (a term I don't like, and that is all about marketing) or an everyday, almost forgotten vegetable (cauliflower) becomes popular. It can become worrisome when a less healthy item (bacon) starts appearing everywhere too.

Trends can be a way to stem curiosity, increase variety, and perhaps get people back into the kitchen to eat real, whole foods, but we must remember that no one food gives us everything that we need. We need a lot of nutrients, and we eat foods (that contain nutrients), thus we need a lot of different foods not only for our health, but also to satisfy our cravings and tastebuds.

I think it's great that more people are interested in health and food, but we also continue to see extremes of obesity and poverty, and now the obsession with healthy eating, known as orthorexia nervosa. We still have a lot to learn!

2016 has been declared the International Year of Pulses which I think is great in so many ways. I hope that definitely means pulses are on people's minds and menus. A few sites I looked at for their predictions were Yahoo Food, HuffPost, The Toronto Star, and Entrepreneur. They didn't just look at ingredients, but also how food is delivered and prepared. What similarities did I find? What can we expect to see in 2016?

• a continued interest in fermented and pickled food
• vegetables taking centre stage (yes!)
• less waste in the kitchen, using 'ugly' food etc.
• acai or smoothie bowls instead of juices
• healthier fast food
• poke (a Hawaiian raw fish dish)
• seaweed
• spice and spicy condiments
• concern with where our food comes from
• discussion around tipping and minimum wage (servers vs cooks, etc.)
• fried chicken
• food that's burned (on purpose)
• a continued interest in ethnic flavours and gourmet versions of international comfort foods
• freekeh and ancient grain/artisan breads

I love food, but it's only one part of our life. I hope you can define yourself beyond the type of diet you eat or the foods you restrict. One trend (more hopefully, a long term change) I would like to see is a removal of labelling the way we eat. I am fortunate that I don't have allergies or intolerances, and I know that makes things difficult and also makes it important that others know what you can't consume, but I still don't think we need to define ourselves by our way of eating. I eat food, lots of different kinds of food.

Happy New Year!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Pot of Prosperity {Recipe ReDux}

I'm sure many of you are preparing for your holiday meals, but I'm going to jump ahead a bit and talk about traditions for the new year.  The Recipe ReDux theme this month is Good Luck Foods: What will you be serving to get the New Year started with a little luck? Be it black eyed peas and greens, Chinese noodles or even a special family recipe you serve on New Year’s Eve or Day. 

I don't currently have a New Year's Eve/Day food tradition.  When I was young, my parents, brother, and I would have a fondue to help us stay up for the countdown.  I'm also a huge breakfast food fan, so a great breakfast is likely always on the menu for January 1.  With the challenge this month, I did a little searching for 'lucky' foods.  I'm not really a superstitious person, but I like the idea of a warm dish (for frigid Canadian winters), a variety of vegetables, some spice (to fight those winter colds/flus), legumes (for those who still aren't sure how to add them into their meals), and why not throw in the idea of foods that represent wealth and prosperity.  Sites like epicurious and women's day have similar lists when it comes to cultural foods eaten to celebrate a new year.  These foods include:
- grapes
- greens
- fish
- pork
- cakes
- long noodles
- round fruit
- lentils
- black eyed peas
- corn bread...

Perhaps you have a tradition or foods you eat for luck in the upcoming year (some people even have foods that they avoid for fear of having bad luck!).  Most of the 'lucky' foods represent money - greens represent cash, lentils represent coins, pork represents progress.  I chose to include as many of these as I could, and also chopped my carrots to look like coins and picked up a round sourdough loaf to accompany the soup - should be a great 2014!

Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 lb pork sausage (I used hot italian, and the soup is spicy!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
1 large white onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
5-8 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz (454g) lentils, rinsed
32 oz (946ml) reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cups (1 L) water
1 - 28oz (794g) can diced tomatoes (I found San Marzano ones - yummy!)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch collard greens (or kale, spinach...), roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Place oil in pot and add sausage.  Cook sausage over medium high heat until browned.
2. Add carrots and onion, stir and cook about 3 minutes.
3. Add celery and garlic, continue cooking until onion is translucent.
4. Add lentils, water, broth, tomatoes, and spices.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 - 1.5 hours, until lentils are tender.
7. Add greens and cook another 5 minutes (or longer).  Serve and enjoy!

Good luck to you, good fortune, and good food,

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Host With The Most (Healthy Food!)

Holiday party season is upon us.  Whether you're spending time with family, friends, or co-workers, there is sure to be an abundance of food and drinks.  The holiday season should be a time of happiness and celebration of a great 2012, but it doesn't have to be all about food.

Remember to enjoy the social aspects, get outdoors and enjoy the snow (we do have a lot of it now!) - go skiing, boarding, snow shoeing, sledding, skating, etc.  You can also encourage others in their health goals by giving cookbooks, workout DVDs or exercise equipment as a gift. 

Don't stress about the food temptations, instead have a plan and consider what you do all year as important.  You may want to limit your holiday indulgences to a few items or a few parties rather than overdoing it over the next month or so. 

If you're hosting you can offer healthier options to your guests (vegetables with dip, fruit skewers, shrimp with cocktail sauce, chicken skewers, low fat cheese, etc.).  You can also avoid tempting yourself by waiting to purchase the food for your party (I know you're trying to be organized, but if you start nibbling because it's in the house then don't bring it into the house!).  Wait to put snacks out until your guests arrive and then send care packages home with them so you aren't left with all the tempting leftovers.  This year I'm taking part in a cookie exchange and am looking forward to sharing mine with family and friends so I don't end up eating them all!

If you're attending a party, be prepared for a "food pushing" host and politely point out how amazing the food is.  Pace yourself and eat slowly, enjoy a glass of water between alcoholic beverages, and move away from the buffet table.  I read somewhere to "never eat on two feet" - take what you want to sample or share and then move away or you may end up overdoing it and noticing too late.  Arrive at the party with a plan (there's no reason to wait until January 1 for that healthy New Year's Resolution - start now). 

Take time during the day and busy shopping/errand running to enjoy a balanced breakfast so that you don't leave home hungry.  Carry a water bottle with you on your outings so that you don't get dehydrated - we sometimes confuse hunger and thirst and get so busy this time of year that we may forget that H2O!  Include a variety of vegetables and fruits with lean proteins early in your day if you're uncertain that they'll be available at the party you're attending.  Getting healthy foods into you can also help keep YOU healthy this holiday season - taking care of yourself also means getting adequate sleep!

Since it's Q's Day, I would like to know:

How do you stay healthy throughout the holiday season?

Cheers!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com