After two years in a global pandemic that has brought varying levels of stress to everyone, it’s no surprise that the diet trends of 2022 will reflect the overall urge to get healthy and improve wellbeing. Whether it’s switching to a fully plant-based diet, or consuming more immune-boosting foods, we’re looking at some of the popular diet trends to look for and learn about in 2022.
Keep reading to find out more about:
- The best plant-based diets to follow
- Which diets do best at immune support
- Food trends that will impact diets in 2022
Plant-based diets
While vegan and vegetarian diets have been extremely popular for many years, pushing the food market to new heights for alternative meat and dairy products, the strict standard versions of these diets appear to be shifting as people adjust for economic and convenience in the post-covid era.
The mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet has long been seen as one of the healthiest diets in the world. A “plant-forward” diet, the Mediterranean diet involves plant-focused plates with the allowance of certain animal products such as fish, chicken, and lean meats. It was the first ranked health diet in the U.S. News and World Report Best Diet Ranking for 2021 and doesn’t seem to be moving from that spot any time soon.
One of the draws of the Mediterranean diet is its emphasis on the enjoyment of food rather than the limitation on food intake. Unlike many diets, the Mediterranean diet includes larger portion sizes and allows for many options (even allowing red meat and desserts in every now and then).
One of the easiest and most convenient diets to follow, the Mediterranean diet is a good diet for long-term application, though it can be expensive as it is focused on fresh vegetables and whole foods.
The pesco-Mediterranean diet is a subtype of the Mediterranean diet that focuses on fish and seafood as the main animal protein eaten.
The flexitarian diet
The flexitarian diet is a plant-based diet that focuses, like the vegetarian diet, on consuming mostly plant-based foods. In the flexitarian diet, most nutrition comes from:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
- Beans
- Whole grains
Unlike the vegetarian and vegan diet however, the flexitarian diet allows for animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs in limited quantities. This flexibility makes this diet more convenient for individuals who do not live in an area where a fully plant-based diet is possible or who cannot afford to eat a fully plant-based diet.
This plant-based and convenience minded diet was ranked as the second healthiest diet by the U.S. News and World Report Best Diet Ranking in 2021 and continues to be popular to many who are conscious of the health and environmental impacts of their diet.
The Keto Diet
The keto diet, or the ketogenic diet, is another diet that has long reigned as one of the best diets for overall health. A low-carb, high-fat diet, the keto diet is designed to boost the body’s ability to burn fat.
The keto diet has many health benefits including boosting energy levels and lowering insulin and cholesterol levels. This diet has long been used by many health professionals to help patients lose weight and improve health conditions such as pediatric epilepsy and high blood sugar.
While the keto diet is a bit more structured than both the Mediterranean and flexitarian diets, it can be relatively easy to adhere to when including the right fats and proteins. Many people who try the keto diet report feeling more energized once their body adjusts to the diet change.
Volumetrics
One of the many diets whose popularity was greatly impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the volumetrics diet is a weight loss diet that does not limit the amount of food that one eats, rather what foods are eaten.
This diet has become increasingly popular after the extended periods of isolation and shelter-in-place orders that left many people snacking most of the day with little ability or access to physical activities to keep weight balanced.
The volumetrics diet is another low-calorie diet with four categories of foods eaten on this diet. These categories add up as follows:
- Category one (makes up majority of the diet)
- High water foods like soup
- non-starchy vegetables
- low or no fat milk.
- Category two (makes up majority of the diet)
- Starchy vegetables and fruits
- lean meats
- grains and legumes
- Category three (monitor portion sizes)
- Meats
- Cheese
- Pizza
- French fries
- Breads and pretzels
- Ice cream and cake
- Category four (foods kept to a minimum)
- Crackers and chips
- Chocolate candies
- Cookies
- Nuts
- Butter and oil
Immune supporting foods
With the ongoing and ever changing Covid-19 pandemic, many people have become more focused on boosting their immune systems in any way possible. This new focus on immune support is certainly impacting diet trends in 2022.
While there are no diets designed specifically for immune support, many of the foods that boost the immune system are included in all of the healthiest diets that are popular at the moment.
Some foods that help to boost the immune system are:
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Brightly-colored vegetables
- Nuts and berries
- Fish
Tumeric has also been shown to help boost immune system function due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Often used to help prevent the flu, there are many ways to include turmeric into any diet you choose to follow.
Whether you’re looking to lose weight with the volumetric diet, improve blood sugar with the keto diet, or generally have a cleaner diet with the Mediterranean and flexitarian diets, you’re sure to see all of these diets becoming incredibly popular in 2022.
Consumer trends have always played an impact on the availability of healthier foods, making access to healthy foods highly dependent on the demand of consumers. In many ways, improving your diet can help to give others access to healthier food as well!
