It looks like it. Maybe the recession has some upside.

In Friday’s LATimes, they predicted that the top three expected consumer food and dining trends for this year will be:

1) Dieting out in lieu of good nutrition. And all I can say is that it’s about time. Quick fixes won’t be the “diet” of choice. People will be seeking positive nutritional choices. On that basis alone, reading nutrition labels and planning healthy menus will be part of everyone’s shopping list.

 2) Home Cooking is back in style:  as of May, 2008, the Food Marketing Institute found that 71% of Americans were cooking in more often, and eating out less. For whatever the reasons are, the result certainly will be people eating their meals with healthier nutritional choices in mind. Will fast food become out of fashion?

3) More gluten-free foods:  A 15-25% growth in the consumption of gluten-free foods is predicted in the US over the next few years. A major benefit of gluten free diet is improved weight loss and the improvement of digestive health among the many benefits of a gluten-free diet.  What is a gluten-free diet? “It is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat, barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. “

I think that based on the LA Times article, as a nation obsessed with food and simultaneously dealing with an obesity crisis, we could be onto something for this and following years. Home cooking is one of my favorite things. And of course, the benefit of proper nutrition tops my list as well. I’m not as familiar with a gluten-free food diet, but I’ll definitely be reading and writing about it more often.

From this short list, I’m impressed with the trends and hope they continue. If you’d like to see the entire list of its seven items, just click the link above.

Will you be following any of these 2009 trends? Do you think they missed anything on the list?

2009 is right around the corner, and it’s going to be a great year, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

© Iowa Ave

Photo courtesy of erix