Take Food Trends With a Grain of Salt

At the beginning of each year, health "experts" often come out with lists of the hottest food trends we'll see in the coming year.

Typically, I'll ignore such lists.

I'm not a "trendy" person. I'm not into "fad" diets. I like my food the way God created it. Fresh and Unprocessed.

But one of my readers wrote in asking me to give my two cents worth on some of the "new" foods being promoted and whether they were worth purchasing.

So, here it goes.

Evidently, 2021 is the year of kelp.

One headline declared that "kelp is the new kale."

You know what kelp is? Seaweed.

The health benefits of seaweed have been known for years. And, I've been talking about seaweed for years. Kelp is not new!

I love seaweed. So much so, I made sure my Patriot Power Greens included a blend of seaweeds.

Do I think kelp is any better than the seaweeds I used in Patriot Power Greens? Nope, the health benefits are similar.

Bottomline, if you like the taste of kelp, and the stores aren't charging an arm and a leg for it due to its sudden popularity, by all means, enjoy some.

Another new trend being touted for 2021 is "AI Foods."

Now, you hear about artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to business these days.

But food?

It seems one company is using AI to create a vegan protein that's nearly identical to dairy protein. And this protein is being added to frozen desserts like "ice cream."

My opinion? Hard pass.

The more you have to manipulate food, the less wholesome it becomes.

There are plenty of ways to create a delicious, vegan, frozen treat without the use of artificial intelligence.

Heck, a simple banana in the freezer can easily be turned into a satisfying, creamy treat. No computers or anything "artificial" required.

The pandemic resulted in many folks starting their own gardens.

And to preserve the harvest of those gardens, people turned to pickling.

So much so that mason jars were in short supply.

Now that the availability of jars is more stable, the canning/pickling trend is expected to continue in 2021 and I'm all for it.

If you're not familiar, pickling is the process of preserving foods, typically in a brine or vinegar.

The food is left in the jar to ferment for a period of time.

And during this fermentation period, good bacteria is produced.

Cucumbers are the most common pickled foods. (I have fond memories of eating pickles my mom had made from the cucumbers we grew on our farm.)

But others can be pickled, as well. Vegetables like asparagus, green beans, beets, bell peppers, carrots, onions and squash are all good options.

You can even pickle fruits like blueberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, strawberries, and watermelon.

If you're one of the many Americans with a produce garden, pick up some jars and give pickling a try.

It's a fun way to preserve the bounty of your garden this spring.

Look, food trends will come and go.

For the most part, many trends aren't worth your time and money.

And those that are, probably aren't new at all.

So, don't get fooled by the hype.