8 health food trends to look out for in 2019

From "Cauli-mania" to the Peruvian Cape gooseberry (the "new acai"), to mushroom coffee and celtuce – set to replace kale as the vegetable of the year – the 2019 food trends are more adventurous than ever.

Flannerys Organic & Wholefoods Store put together a panel of nutritionists and wellness experts to predict the year's biggest nutrition trends. 

Here are the top eight health trends to look out for in 2019:

1.    Cauli-mania: Forget it being something you only eat at nana's, smeared in white sauce; the blonde brassica is being used as a healthy substitute for everything from rice and potato to pasta and pizza crust. Sales for packaged cauliflower products grew 71 per cent last year, according to Nielsen market research reports. One of our favorite products is the Caulipower pizza base.

2.    Marine morsels: Nope, not seaweed. That's so last year. The way to get your daily dose of omegas in 2019 is from things like unique varietals of algae and kelp (kelp jerkey anyone?).

3.    Pacific Rim foods: Think colourful fruits, fish and produce from Oceania, Asia and the Western coasts of North and South America. Fruits such as dragon fruit, passion fruit and guava will be all the rage. When it comes to protein, dried shrimp, shrimp paste and cuttlefish will be popular for all meals, along with longganisa, a Filipino pork sausage.

4.    Japanese flavours: Poaching chicken and fish in miso will become as common as roasting beef or lamb in the oven, as Japanese ingredients such as miso, Japanese yams, yuzu, sansho pepper and ponzu steal the limelight. Miso is also being mixed with coconut sugar as an ice cream topper or sweetened into a miso sugar paste.

5.    Vegan and faux meat: The "plant-based" goods industry is now expected to be worth $4.2 billion after growing 18 per cent in the last year or so. In our busy culture, one of the biggest growth areas is "ready to eat plant-based foods". These include things like "just add water" vegan mac 'n' cheese and marinated jackfruit massaman curry. Cruelty-free eating is huge in Australia, which also has the third fastest-growing vegan population globally.

6.    Keto craze: The low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic or "keto" diet continues to rise in popularity with loads of new snack ideas hitting the shelves – from keto bombs that you pop in your morning coffee to snack bars and cookies. 

7.    Hemp and cannabinoids: Hemp is leading the health and wellness world as a fantastic source of nutrition. With high amounts of protein, and rich in omega 3 and omega 6, it's quickly becoming the salad, cereal and smoothie starter of choice. Cannabinoids (CBD) will be another huge topic on our radar, as we look at the growing research and discussions around calming anxiety and reducing stress and inflammation in the body with the help of CBD. Look out for our thought-provoking in-store educational workshops on these topics. 

8.    Superfoods: The Peruvian Cape gooseberry, known as Golden Berry, in Europe and in the United States, is talked about as the "new acai" due to its superfood powers. It boasts of vitamin A, vitamin B complex and C and has a high sample of protein and phosphorus, which can improve overall diet and health. The Peruvian fruit, the size of a cherry tomato, is full of tiny seeds and can be eaten straight or added to salads, bakes, desserts and cooked dishes. They can also be dried and sprinkled on savoury dishes, seafood and meat, and for a sweet treat – dipped in chocolate or stewed. Broccoli sprouts are also very popular with those in the know as they're anti-cancer forming, detoxifying and amazingly nutritious.

Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market offers a huge range of fresh, healthy and organic produce, including unpackaged bulk wholefoods, hormone-free meat, gluten-free products galore and plenty of healthy snacks. Pop in for free naturopathic advice, vegan-friendly and paraben-free cosmetics, plus all the regular health food supplies. For more information and easy to follow recipes, visit flannerys.com.au