Americans are consulting dietitians more than ever before, to gain nutritional information and advice about diets.  A survey conducted amongst 500 dietitians highlighted the following food trends for 2014, likely to apply locally too.  According to eTurboNews the top 14 eating trends are as follows:

1.   Anti-wheat:  wheat-reduced diets like the Paleo diet, gluten-free, or ‘wheat belly‘, is the top eating trend, despite there being no evidence that these lead to weight-loss.

2.  Ancient grains:  are popular again, despite the contradictory anti-wheat trend.

3.   Low fat: the focus on low fat diets will largely fall away.

4.   ‘MyPlate‘: this educational tool to create a healthy diet and to eat correctly is recommended to their clients by the majority of dietitians.

5.   Health:  this is an important consideration for shoppers, so much so that in-store Supermarket Dietitians dispensing advice are offered as a service to customers.

6.  Information guidance:  TV doctors, chefs, and trainers will be the most popular sources of information guiding healthy eating.

7.   Judging diet success:  friends and family become the benchmark of judging the success of a diet and a healthy eating plan.

8.   Blog advice about nutrition and health:  blogs are increasingly followed for diet advice.

9.   The (mis)information age:  Most nutrition information is based on ‘personal beliefs and half-truths rather than published peer-reviewed research’, the dietitians interviewed fed back.

10.   More eco-conscious: Shoppers consider sustainability and local sourcing when shopping. .

11.   Bodyweight static: consumers appear to accept their weight, and the average weight is not decreasing.

12.   Fruits and veggies: as attention to diets and healthy eating improves, more fruit and vegetables are eaten.

13.   Health benefits: kale, coconut oil, or chia seeds are growing in popularity for their health advantages.

14.   Information-needy:  consumers will increasingly seek information about nutrition and weight-loss.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage