USA 2013 – Healthy Food Trends, Realities, and Pushing Forward!

raw vegan flat bread made from spirulina without gluten or wheat or dairy

Alright, so I put this off for long enough, so I think the time has come to dive into what has been yet another extremely memorable, eye opening, and rewarding trip!

Facebook updates hopefully have kept you all in the loop of the amazing healthy innovative food products that are increasing in popularity over in the USA, and how most of the trends I picked up on last year whilst living in NYC (such as vegan and vegetarian protein sources) are becoming increasingly popular, with product categories growing beyond belief!

So here is a summarised list of the key food trends I saw this year, as well as what I predict will be the focus of product innovations in the coming year or so (you can hold me to this list, right or wrong!):

Vegan products.
Raw foods.
Plant based protein sources ; in particular hemp.
Algae and seaweed based or derived products (in particular, promotions of the omega 3, 6 and 9’s that they can provide) i.e chlorophyl, chlorella, or spirulina (all with unique characterising benefits).
Probiotic enhanced products e.g. bars and non dairy yoghurt alternatives.
Prebiotic enhanced products.
Dairy free alternatives.
Gluten free alternatives.
Rice malt syrup as a natural low GI sweetener alternative.

Hemp high protein bagels

dairy free milk alternatives made with superfoods such as quinoa, chia or coconut by “Dream” in their Blends varieties.

Seaweed based products

I found that a lot of sports supplements or “natural” health bars contained organic soy proteins, which I suppose are cheaper than some of the other plant based proteins. However my guess is that the really savvy companies who want to differentiate themselves with “premium products” will probably start using more pea protein isolate, hemp protein isolate or spirulina derived proteins. Time will tell..

plant based protein green and healthy bars

Plant based protein health bars

Plant based protein such as hemp and spirulina taking over!

Sustainable living has been slowly loitering around the nutritional world for some time now, with some of the smaller companies starting to make completely biodegradable wrappers, or promoting the use of sustainable palm oil sources. I see the transition from the “paleo” craze, across to the vegan/vegetarian focus to most likely go hand in hand with this..and ultimately be a win:win for corporate social responsibility around sustainability, and peoples overall health and wellbeing.

compostable wrapper on the health bar

Given the USA, similar to Australia, has had a huge focus on dairy and gluten free living, it came as no surprise that there were claims, left, right, and centre, on food products promoting these aspects.

Different protein style bars will continue to be made utilising plant based sources would be my guess! Promoting that it is gluten free.

The juicing craze has continued, as have more beverage items been developed incorporating the above mentioned nutritional trends.

Aside from scoping out the products throughout the country, I had an amazing time talking to my colleagues from around the country. There was something different about the way everyone interacted with me this year that was extremely comforting.

I’m not sure if it was that a year had passed in which a relationship naturally develops and strengthens, if it was the natural maturity that had evolved within my personality, or whether it was something totally different that I haven’t pin pointed; However, all I can say, is that everyone was far more open and honest this trip, with me really getting to know the realities of peoples worlds, and the hardships both professionally or personally, that those I now call my true friends have to face.

The basic reality is, everyone is facing different challenges irrespective of how peachy keen or strong a public profile is promoted, and that our big life decisions can really impact on us one way or another.

I had learnt last year that my personality is more well suited to a bigger city mentality, and this trip engrained that yet again. Visiting NYC, SF, Santa Monica, Vegas and San Juan Capistrano; I was exposed to all sorts of people! As I said last year, I honestly have never felt more supported than I do whenever I am in NYC. SF had a similar charm, with me also feeling automatically welcomed and appreciated there too. My colleagues from these bigger cities in particular yet again went above and beyond their call of duty to look out for me, with people offering for me to stay in their homes, introduce me to new connections, or simply take me out for meals on the town.

Being invited onto the radio show by one of my colleagues to help promote my book around the USA and Canada through the NYU Xirus FM radio show.

My gorgeous dietitian colleague taking me to the amazing rouge tomate healthy restaurant!

One of my many amazing colleagues who are so supportive over in NYC

I had a particularly note worthy day, making my way out to visit Dr David Katz, whom is a highly regarded doctor, head of the Yale University Preventative Medicine Unit, creator of the food labelling program I love “Nuval”, and expert contributor to the huffington post (among a million other accolades to add to his name!). We clicked immediately, with him having a very pragmatic nature, “bigger picture” attitude to life, and an ability to be extraordinarily articulate. I found him a pleasure to be around, and I would strongly recommend anyone reading this begin following his posts on any social media channel if you would like evidence based, critical thinking opinions on all the latest debated nutritional news topics!

Outside Dr David Katz’s office in CT

I also visited the gorgeous Susan Irby (The Bikini Chef) in San Juan Capistrano, who I had asked to contribute recipes to my book The Clean Separation last year. As I had thought, even without having met her previously face to face, we instantaneously understood each other and felt at ease. It’s funny how instinct dictated this relationship from the beginning, and how right it was. Learning the in depth version of how hard she has worked to get to where she is now, taking many a risks to follow her passions rather than sit in a 9 -5 job she really had no desire to perform in, only further engrained how much she deserves any of the positive outcomes that result from her efforts.

Out for dinner with the gorgeous Bikini Chef – Susan Irby

I could list of all the amazing people I met and had the pleasure of enjoying time spent with, however I think to keep this short and succinct I will summarize the main takings I had, after hearing different versions of very similar stories on repeat:

Those that have amazing careers- WORK THEIR ARSES OFF (excuse my language). Not a single person had anything fall into their laps..even the ones that had a bit of good luck, still made leaps and bounds from where they began all those years ago, through nothing less than working, working some more, and working some more after that!

Even when people looked like they were living some “dream life” to the outside world- there was ALWAYS more going on behind the scenes; Those earning copious amounts of money often did not have deep loving relationships with a partner they envisaged, those with the amazing relationships took a step down from ticking off all the career boxes they were capable of attaining, and even for those that did seem to find that “balance” between the two, often given that feeling content with your situation is a matter of perspective, in their own minds, they still weren’t 100% satisfied.

The people that did seem the most at ease, were those that had a deep “sense of self”. They were comfortable with their decisions, they had calculated the gains vs losses of their decisions, and had either accepted their situations, or were those that took “driver” style mentalities to feel more in control of their fate, and try and navigate their lives to a place they felt they would be more content with.

and finally…there are supportive amazing people, and absolutely heartless disgraceful people everywhere you go..you just have to continue to sift to find your matches; and when you get knocked down by those on the not so inviting end of the spectrum, you have to pick yourself up, dust off the dirt from the grazes, and literally keep going. I have been exposed to copious amounts of people from both ends of this spectrum as a result of having a curious mind, being open to speaking with people from all walks of life, and putting myself out there. I laughed as I conversed with a friend in NYC and said “meet Travelling Dietitian, my life = your worst nightmares, and you best dreams, all in reality.”

Great Aussie friends that look out for me overseas!

So there you have a very summarized version of the past month, the next month or two will definitely be very telling..and given I am a “do-er” not a “talker” I think we might just have to wait for one of my next posts to share with you all what is coming next.

I think I have a new quote which I now whole heartedly live by (no matter how scary it may be) “If I don’t live my life, no one else will for me”…

Do you feel like you are “living”?

If not…I’d suggest you have a think about what it is that will help make you feel like you are “living”…it can give you a whole new sense of self and internal strength..please trust me on this one!

Okay, that’s it for now,

Sending love around the globe to you all,

Travelling Dietitian x