Eight Top Food and Nutrition Trends for 2024 with Laurann O'Reilly

The world of food and nutrition is constantly transforming with new and exciting changes in the way we live, how we eat, how we train, changes in food production and sustainability and the big one - innovations in technology.

Here nutritionist Laurann O’Reilly and owner of Nutrition by Laurann guides us through some of top food and nutrition trends coming up this year.

In no particular order here’s what we can expect.

1) Food For Mood: In recent years there has been a huge increase in mental health awareness with people searching high and low for healthy ways to boost their mood and energy levels. Now having a greater understanding that food is not only important for physical health energy and repair, there has been an increased interest in the area of functional foods for promoting our mental and emotional health. These include pre and probiotics, omega 3 fatty acids, raw cocoa as well as herbal remedy ‘adaptogens’ such as ashwagandha and rhodiola rosea.

Note: Please be careful when taking herbal remedies as they may interfere with certain medications. 

2) Plant Based Protein & Snacking: This one wasn’t just a dietary fad, instead there has been a huge increase in plant based protein alternatives as well as protein fortified foods. 

It’s important to be aware that the plant based meat alternatives aren’t always the healthiest option, with many using processed ingredients to replicate the consistency of meat. 

Remember: When buying packaged foods such as vegan/plant based meat replicas, to take a look at the ingredient listing. The longer the ingredient listing the more likely it is to be processed, also keep an eye out for artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives. 

3) Functional Hydration: I often discuss the importance of hydration for our body but this new trend has taken hydration to another level. These according to Food Insights include “clean caffeine drinks to support better sleep and added pre- and probiotics for gut health”. We can also expect an increase in vitamin boosted waters and flavoured water tablets. 

4) Food Fusions: With so many incredible cuisines throughout the world it was only a matter of time before we started bringing them together or ‘fusing’ them to create new and innovative recipes. Food fusion can be defined as “fusion cuisine is a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures”. Some healthy(ish) versions include falafel scotch eggs, caesar salad wonton cups and beef teriyaki tacos. 

5) Menopause Support: Up until recently it’s was almost taboo to discuss the M word publicly, but thankfully it’s no longer the case. Afterall it’s a natural process that every woman experiences and more awareness needs to be raised about expected symptoms and management of these. 

Tip: Some helpful nutrition menopause support supplements include: calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, evening primrose oil, omega 3 fatty acids and sage. 

6) Eating with Your AI: If you struggling to think of a fun, healthy and creative meal idea, well then you have your artificial intelligence or AI at your fingertips. It’s likely at this stage that you’ve heard people speaking of Chat GPT every 10 seconds and whilst you may get the urge to dismiss it, it really can be super useful when for coming up with handy recipes for you and your family. There has also been a rise in meal planning and recipe apps which I will discuss in a couple of weeks, stay tuned. 

7) Influenced Eating: With everything from YouTube, Instagram Reels and TikTok food and recipe inspiration as well as restaurant recommendations, Food Insights predict “more social media-induced snacking and cooking trends to continue well into 2024”.

Note: Whilst there is a host of some  really amazing meal ideas online, it’s also important to be aware that health and nutrition claims from social media aren’t always reliable, so if you are looking for accurate dietary advice or recommendations, it’s always best to contact a qualified professional.

8) Sustainable Nutrition: With the extreme weather events that we’ve been seeing over the past few years, it’s hard to deny that global warming is indeed a huge concern. Thankfully collectively we can play an important role in protecting our environment too, not just for us but for future generations to come. Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute define sustainable nutrition as “the ability of food systems to provide sufficient energy and essential nutrients to maintain good health of the population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their nutritional needs” with food that is “produced and delivered in a way that is mindful for people, the planet, and society”.

Tip: Simple ways that we can sustainably eat as individuals is by increasing our fruit and vegetable consumption and by reducing food waste. We really can help to reduce our food waste by writing a shopping list which composes the healthy meals and snacks that we need without purchasing surplus foods, being mindful of the ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates when shopping, creatively and safely using our leftover foods or freezing left over meal portions.