After the pandemic turmoil in 2019 and 2020, you promised yourself that you’re going to make 2021 a healthier and happier year. Here are 5 of the healthy eating trends for 2021. Learn more and motivate yourself to act healthily.
Sustainable eating
Sustainable eating doesn’t have an official definition, but in general it involves selecting foods that are healthy for our bodies and the environment. This means foods that provide a balanced diet for the body but also facilitate the conservation of the environment.
Expect to see more about locally produced foods, limiting feed waste, choosing more sustainable meats and foods with sustainable packaging.
Immunity booster
To better protect ourselves from viruses, it is important to eat healthy and nutritious foods that can strengthen the immune system. Foods that are rich in vitamin c, zinc and protein are great immunity booster.
Gut-friendly
Gut health is one of the top health diet trends in recent years. It is believed that gut health will continue to become a big health concern this year. To maintain and improve the gut health, eating vegetables, grains and beans can provide a positive environment for the gut. But meat, junk food, dairy and eggs just reflect a negative environment for the gut that we should only eat small portions.
You may also be familiar with gut benefits that probiotics could bring you, but have you heard about the latest buzzword “postbiotics”? Research has confirmed that postbiotics may help maintain a healthy immune system, support a healthy digestive system, as well as to help balance the microbiome in our gut.
Plant-based
It is believed that plant protein is going to lead the health diet trends in 2021. People tend to choose plant-based diets rather than animal protein because of the health, environmental and ethical concerns. We can see more and more plant-based options like bean pasta, soy and tofu burgers available in the market. Also, it is found that the consumption of avocado, kale and quinoa has increased continuously. Plant proteins are still health diets in 2021.
Mental Health
Mental wellbeing is one of the biggest pandemic issue that we have to face in 2021. While people start to prioritize their mental health, food could be a powerful tool for people living with depression and anxiety as it is an essential contributor to proper body functioning—and brain is no different from any other body part.
Studies have shown that poor eating habits, like high-fat and high-sugar diets, can harm the brain, impairing its normal functioning. In contrast, a proper diet (with vitamins, antioxidants, and other micronutrients), nourishes and protects the brain from the oxidative stress of free radicals that can damage the brain cells.