6 Popular Food Trends We’re Still Loving

In partnership with Sabra Hummus

Food trends come and go pretty quick these days, but every once in a while, something buzzworthy becomes a fan favourite that sticks around for good. Whether it’s fancy toast or lunch in a bowl, we’re still just as smitten with these foods as we were the day we met them.

1. Hummus

About 10 years ago, hummus was a lesser-known specialty food that had just started to make its way onto store shelves. Fast-forward to today and it has become a household staple. This rockstar food is the perfect mid-afternoon snack with veggies or crackers and makes for a healthy sandwich fixing. Whether it has flavourful add-ins like Sabra’s Greek Olive Hummus or is elevated for entertaining with jazzy toppings, hummus always has something exciting to offer. Plus, with all the research behind the health benefits of pulses (chickpeas, beans, lentils), a daily dose of hummus is an easy way to increase your intake while potentially decreasing your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

2. Avocado Toast

Perfect on its own or simply topped with a ripe tomato, nothing is quite as satisfying as avo toast. Hit that baby with some Everything Bagel Seasoning and an Insta-worthy jammy egg, and you’re in food trend heaven. Not only are avocados delicious, but they’re packed with fibre, monounsaturated fatty acids (the same kind as olive oil) and have more potassium than a banana. The monounsaturated fats in avocados can lower your total blood cholesterol and LDL (unhealthy cholesterol), while also raising your HDL (the healthy cholesterol), meaning your favourite black-and-green fruit can contribute to protecting you against heart disease. So, bring on the avo toast–just be sure to have a ripe one on hand.

3. Plant-Based Proteins

With plant-based burgers taking fast-food joints and summer barbecues by storm this year, it’s safe to say these meat alternatives are here to stay. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or practicing meatless Mondays, cutting back on your meat intake and replacing it with protein from plant sources (like beans, peas, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds and whole grains) is shown to have a significant impact on both your health and the environment. So, if you haven’t already, fire up the grill, pass the ketchup and check out what plant-based meats are all about.

4. Bowls

Grain bowls, burrito bowls, poke bowls, noodle bowls–is it just us or does everything taste better in a bowl? There’s a reason this trend has stood the test of time: bowls are easy to throw together (especially if you’ve jumped on the trendy “meal prep Sunday” bandwagon), can be made gluten-free, and combine all the most energizing foods to power you through your day.

The formula for making a bowl is simple: a base (i.e., rice, quinoa, noodles, farro), a protein source (i.e., chicken, fish, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, eggs), a veggie or two (i.e., shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, julienned carrots, roasted broccoli), a topper (i.e., cheese, nuts, seeds, fresh herbs), and finally, a tasty dressing to tie it together.

5. Fermented Foods

As research in this area continues to grow, so too has the topic of gut health in the world of food and nutrition. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, yogurt, tempeh and kefir contain probiotics, or healthy bacteria that replenishes the gut microbiome. Probiotics can contribute to a healthy immune system, improve mental health, decrease the severity of allergies and eczema and can help with diarrhea and gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's. Looking to add more fermented foods into your diet? Try one of these recipes:

Sheet Pan Frittata with Kimchi
Superfood Tempeh Burger
Superfood Green Smoothie
Sausage Sauerkraut and Pepper Bake

6. Sustainable Eating

Vegetarian diets, farm-to-table, nose-to-tail, root-to-stem, up-cycling food, decreasing food waste–the trend towards a more sustainable food system is undeniably growing as climate change becomes more dire. While eating less meat or going vegetarian is an effective and impactful choice to save Mother Earth, you can also do your part by buying locally grown food (farm-to-table, farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs are great options), supporting urban agriculture, or starting a community garden. Chefs are taking part in this trend, too. Many are now integrating the root-to-stem philosophy to their business, using every part of the plant to make their dishes (e.g., making a roasted carrot side-dish, tossing the peelings into a vegetable stock, and using the carrot tops to make pesto).