Healthy Food Trends and Eating Habits for Life!

This article (link below) was published over a year ago via Consumer Reports. I am a firm believer that what might be a food trend one year could become a regular healthy eating habit that same year and beyond.

Healthy Food Trends to Watch for in 2019

~ It's a brand new year! Why not evaluate this list and determine if you have incorporated any of these healthy food trends for 2019 into your healthy eating habits.

Non-Dairy Milks? 

CHECK! I live with family members who are lactose-intolerant. They have to drink non-dairy milks. I drink it cause I like the taste.

Mindful Eating?

Uhh … ??? It's a dietary approach. I'm going to have to do a little more research.

Mindful Eating 101 — A Beginner’s Guide | Healthline

8 steps to mindful eating - Harvard Health

Chickpeas?

CHECK! I started eating chickpeas in the 70s when my university roommate took me to my first salad bar at a restaurant. They made a great addition to a salad. I learned later that you could also put them in soups and make hummus with them. On top of that, the nutritionists say they're good for me? Score!

Chayote?

I live in Texas and our grocery store gets a lot of their produce from Mexico. It's not that expensive to buy. Chayote is a squash that is used in Mexican cuisine. We eat a lot of Mexican food in Texas. (Also used in Jamaican and Brazilian cuisine.)  My only excuse is that … Ummm? I got nothing! I don't have an excuse. I've just never tried this veggie in a recipe. Have you?

10 Impressive Benefits of Chayote Squash

Learn About Chayote Squash : Article - GourmetSleuth

Chayote with Tomato and Green Chile Recipe | SimplyRecipes.com

Sautéed Chayote Squash Recipe | The Spruce Eats

Plant 'Meat'?

CHECK! Everybody is doing it. Right? Well not everybody, but I am. To my surprise, I like the taste. In my personal case, my late husband had to change his diet because of a health condition. I wasn't going to prepare separate meals. One his way and one my way. So I started eating his way. His way was incorporating plant 'meat' into his diet. He's gone now. But I'm OK with still eating meat alternatives.

By the way, you can use chickpeas to make burgers.

Easiest Vegan Chickpea Burgers - Loving It Vegan

Foods for Sensitive Stomachs?

This is not a problem for me. My stomach is lined with iron. But I did learn an interesting food fact. “FODMAP” means fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Evidently FOMAP foods are big in Australia. I live in the USA. We're starting to come around.

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So have you incorporated any of these 2019 healthy food trends into your diet?

If not, here's another consumer report:

9 Ways to Follow a Healthier Diet in 2020

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I'm no food expert, dietician, nutritionist, or professional in the food industry. I just like writing about my foodie adventures. You can find some more of my writings at My Foodie Luv (my Medium publication) and Food Ways (this blog).

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Would you happen to be interested in pesto?

I’m very proud of this article. It was accepted for publication at Vocal.Media and was selected as a Vocal Staff Pick and featured.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Pesto

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Original source

World Cuisine: Easy Dessert Recipe: Malpua

Do you love experimenting and tasting the food of other countries? Especially the desserts. Yum!

I'm sure I'm not the only foodie out there who loves global flavors. So I'll share this delightful recipe. It's a sweet treat popular in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Malpua is often served at holidays or festivals like Holi and Diwali.

You can find lots of variations of this recipe online. There is malpua served with rose and saffron syrup. There’s Bengali style. There’s banana malpua. There’s Mawa Malpua. (Image below.)

Cooking video: How To Make Malpua - Dessert Recipes



Related Link: How to make mawa - 5 ways of making mawa.

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If You Like This You Might Also Like:

• Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!
• Can You Name 5 British Desserts? (NO Googling!)
• Recipe for a Refreshing Summer Drink Made With Mango and Chia Seeds

Why is Changing Your Eating and Drinking Habits So Challenging?

Over the years you become so accustomed to certain food and drink, that a suggested change in your diet isn't a change ... it's a challenge!

Hope you’re in the mood for some delightful foodie humor. Here goes.

When you have developed certain eating and drinking habits over the years, you think that either you will absolutely never change your ways OR you reluctantly make the change while whining about how hard it is to change. But once you make that change … which is usually for the better … your body (and mind) adapt so easily that you wonder why you thought it would be difficult.

Has that happened to you? It has happened in my life so many times.

I talked about my first food experience with veggie burgers in another post.

Several years before that experience, I told a friend that I would never eat meatless spaghetti. I used my kids as an excuse and said they would never agree with that change in the menu. Truth is I had never even tried to get them to eat it. I just assumed they wouldn't. Several years later, my daughters took over some of my meal preparation duties and decided that they were perfectly OK with meatless spaghetti. Served it with garlic bread and a huge salad and they were happy! Well! There went my excuse. LOL. The meal is great! To my surprise, I don't mind meatless spaghetti at all! And of course, my objection to a plate of meatless spaghetti was totally ridiculous. After all, I'll eat a large plate of vegetable lo mein without batting an eye. And what is lo mein? DUH!

Image Credit:  Amazon.com

My latest dietary change pertains to drinking less coffee and consuming more tea. I think back again to that same friend, who was my office mate. She drank tea religiously while I consumed gallons of coffee. Once again, my daughters decided that they would become tea drinkers instead of coffee lovers. Hey, wait a minute! Is this a conspiracy? LOL.

I am not a total convert. I still have to have my daily dose of java. But I am enjoying experimenting with the various flavors of teas that my kids purchase from the local grocery store and also making my own teas with herbs and spices in the kitchen cabinet. Teas have numerous medicinal purposes and lots of health benefits. On top of that, tea tastes good and some teapots are really pretty!

Have you been challenged to make any dietary changes?

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If You Like This You Might Also Like:

Food and Drink History: The Evolution of Tea

How to Pimp Up A Glass of Water

Source: My Foodie Luv newsletter