The 2020 quarantine gave people a lot of time to focus on themselves and their health. Health is

always something that should be a priority, but of course life often gets in the way and puts that

to the side. Instead of focusing on some big health goal, it is best to start small, with a few

everyday changes. Several “trends”, and new products have emerged that people really seemed

to latch onto, and have gained popularity in 2021. Check out some of the biggest food trends

right now that many people have tried!

Pre-Workout Drinks

For most people, coffee is an essential part of the day. That necessary caffeine boost to wake up

and get the day going. Coffee has become such a big social trend, with videos going viral on

Tiktok about how people make their coffee. While the Starbucks line is still as long as ever, there

has been a lot of talk recently about energy drinks, and the similar benefits they have to coffee.

Specifically, the hype has been around Celsius- a pre-workout energy drink. Celsius drinks are

marketed as a fitness drink to “accelerate metabolism, burn body fat, and provide healthy

energy”. It is made with all natural ingredients like green tea and ginger root, and provides

200mg of caffeine. While we all still love coffee, these are definitely a fun alternative and will

still provide that boost of caffeine we all desperately need.

Avocado Oil

Recently attention has been brought to cooking oils, and the not so good parts of them. Instead,

people have been switching to avocado oil instead of the traditional canola or olive oil. Avocado

oil is the natural oil pressed from the pulp of an avocado, which is rich in healthy fats. There

have also been studies to show that avocado’s may benefit heart health in reducing blood

pressure and cholesterol levels. If you love avocado’s, why not give this a try!

In the past few years we have seen sort of a transition away from regular milk to other

alternatives, like almond or coconut milk. However, there has been a lot of hype around oat milk

recently, so much so that several large chains now offer it. Dunkin Donuts started offering oat

milk back in August of 2020, and Starbucks followed, introducing oat milk in March of this year,

kicking off the launch with their new iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso. Oat milk is low

in fat, with only 2.5 grams of healthy fats, has no cholesterol, and is high in protein and fiber,

which is why many people now gravitate towards it in their coffee. It is now the second most

popular plant-based milk, after almond milk. Although it is delicious and has numerous benefits,

if you plan to switch over, keep in mind that oat milk is more expensive than regular milk and

other plant-based alternatives.

Not everyone is willing to commit to a total gluten free, dairy free, or plant- based diet, which is

why the trend of “flexitarian” eating is on the rise. People are trying to limit certain aspects of

their diet whether that be meat, gluten or dairy, and only eat them in moderation. This way of

eating is more flexible and feels less restrictive than typical diets, while still prioritizing health.

Stores now sell gluten free, dairy free and vegan alternatives to pretty much anything, so you

don’t have to miss out!

From new cooking styles to clean, healthier ingredients, these 2021 food trends seem like they

might be here to stay!