Health Street Journal

5 Healthy Food Trends for 2012

1- Craft Beer

Americans are drinking less imported beer and gravitating toward craft brews, which in a nutshell are beers made by small, independent microbreweries, often using unique recipes and ingredients, from hemp seeds and chocolate to raisins, coffee, lemongrass and coriander. Beer has a reputation as being fattening and not the beverage of choice for health conscious consumers, but that's changing.

2- Local Seasonal Superfoods

Finally we've embraced the notion that buying watermelon in the middle of winter just doesn't seem right. Today most fruits and veggies travel about 1,500 miles from where they're grown, so they're often picked before they peak, and the minute they're harvested they begin to lose nutrients. But produce that has been grown and sold locally can be harvested at its peak, which means it will be chock full of vitamins and antioxidants, which are partly responsible for taste, color, aroma, firmness, mouth feel, and even sound (e.g., the snapping of a string bean or cracking when biting into a crisp apple). That's why local in-season fruits and veggies are not only better for you nutritionally speaking, but they're also a feast for your senses. 

3- Sorghum
Whole grains are white hot, and as options like quinoa and black rice becomes mainstream consumers will be looking to expand their whole grain repertoire. By all indications sorghum is primed to move into the spotlight. This gluten-free whole grain, which requires less water to grow than corn, has long been a staple in Asia and Africa. Published studies have found that sorghum's antioxidants and other natural properties may fight cancer and lower cholesterol, and its incredibly versatile. 

4-Plant-Based "Dairy"

Dairy products are generally made from the milk of mammals like cows or sheep, but "milk" can also be made by pressing a variety of plant-based foods, from grains like brown rice and oats to a variety of nuts and seeds. As the movement toward plant-based diets builds we"ll surely be seeing a crop of new products. For example, many stores now carry almond milk yogurt and sunflower seed milk. 

5- Exotic Herbs and Spices   

In cooking, baking and even mixology we'regoing gaga over exotic and ethnic spices like sumac (Mediterranean), charnushka (also called black cumin used in North India, Iran, and Egypt), hyssop (a Biblical herb used to make bitters), and ajowan (a relative of dill and caraway used in Indian cooking). Experimenting with natural seasonings is a great way to fall in love with eating healthfully. In other words you don't have to choke down plain, steamed veggies or flavorless meals.