Should you try this food fad?

Food fads can run the gamut, from all-you-can-eat meat and fat to all-you-can-eat raw fruits and vegetables. Is a trendy diet healthy for you? Is something that tastes good without health benefits? Does eating right need to be painful? Read on to satisfy your hunger for knowledge.



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New Atkins diet: Easy to stick to

The Atkins diet has resurfaced as a food trend in modified form from the 2002 version, moving away from the extreme all-you-can-eat meat and fat. According to Everyday Health, this is a “streamlined version of the original diet, one that balances lean protein with controlled portions of fat and healthy carbs.” Proponents find the diet easy to stick to, but detractors feel it’s not well balanced.



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Raw diet: The raw truth

A diet of only raw fruits and vegetables? Apparently it’s a food trend, according to a CBC News story. In the article, a registered holistic nutritionist claims that raw food “will offer all the nutrients and the essential amino acids needed to thrive and live a healthy life,” while an opposing registered dietitian has her doubts.



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Gluten-free: The calories are the same

Prevention magazine takes aim at the gluten-free obsession, where people forgo the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It’s a good idea if you have celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, or gluten sensitivity. However, it may be less efficacious if you switch to gluten-free processed foods and desserts to lose weight (which have the same calories as the gluten versions).



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The Paleo diet: Eat like a caveman

The Paleolithic diet, or paleo diet, allows only foods that cavemen would have eaten 500,000 years or so ago. Nuts, fish, lean meat, fruit, and vegetables without a lot of starch are OK. Dairy foods, grains, processed foods and starchy vegetables are forbidden. Everyday Health points out: “Experts say the long-term results aren’t proven and the diet is difficult to maintain.”



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Chia seeds: Seeds of doubt

Chia seeds have become all the rage, with people sprinkling them in muffins, bread, soup and more, for their health benefits, because they are high in omega-3 fats and antioxidants. However, the Telegraph insists: “As our bodies are apparently better at using omega-3 oils from fish than plants, there is no real evidence that they are any better for you than a fillet of salmon.”



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Cronuts: An early treat

Cronuts are a New York food fad getting international attention and copiers. The fried croissant debuted at the Dominique Ansel bakery, which only makes 200 to 250 a day and has lineups forming two hours before its doors open. The Week magazine reveals that “Cronut scalpers” will sell the US$5 treats (called overrated by some critics) for US$40.



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Volumetrics: Fill up on water

The rationale sounds good: eat foods containing more water—such as many fruits and vegetables—and the H2O makes you feel full. Everyday Health points out: “[These foods] are healthier because they have lower energy density than sugary and fatty foods.” The science may be OK but the emphasis on home-cooked food in this trendy diet could be hard for some.



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Apple cider vinegar: Just use on salads

Drinking apple cider vinegar has become a health food thing, supposedly doing everything from controlling blood sugar to keeping dandruff under check. However, there appears to be little science backing up these claims.



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Veganism: Animals are happier

Vegans refuse to eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, gelatin and eggs. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Vegans are usually thinner and enjoy a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.” This may be because they eat a more wholesome diet than others, with more fibre, fruit, vegetables and legumes, avoiding processed foods.



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Ramen burger: Using his noodle

Keizo Shimamoto, a Japanese-American, invented the ramen burger—ramen noodles are boiled, pressed into buns, seared with sesame oil and then encase a burger on a bed of arugula, with a sprinkling of scallions. Now ramen burgers are popping up everywhere. Not everyone is a fan. “It tastes . . . exactly as you would expect, [but it] could definitely use some jacking up, some fire and heat, like if they used red chili ramen,” says one critic as reported in a Daily Mail article.



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Fake meat: Better than you think

According to Chatelaine magazine, “The plant-based eating trend from this past year is only gaining momentum. Companies from food delivery service Foodora to Whole Foods suggest we’ll be getting even more (and better) faux-meat products.” How does a plant burger that bleeds like meat taste? Pretty good, say some critics.



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Avocados: Burgers, toast, popsicles, lattes

Avocados are a food trend found in many places: avocado popsicles, burgers, toast and even “Avolattes” (avocado lattes). According to Forbes magazine: “The antioxidant-rich fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C, E and K, protein, fiber and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.” The benefits aren’t lost even if the avocado foods have more calories than the fruit itself.



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Coconut: You can put a lime in

Proclaimed one of the hot foods of 2017, coconut is turning up in ice cream, smoothies, sugar and flour. This “superfood” is high in protein, fibre, Vitamin C and minerals, and, claims Forbes, “it boosts the production of good cholesterol, improves brain function and protects hair and skin from damage.”



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Non-alcoholic drinks: Cocktails without spirit

The BBC’s Good Food claims that non-alcoholic cocktails are becoming a trend, because of “health-conscious millennials [who] are drinking booze less and less.” Mocktails, premium tonic waters, non-alcoholic “spirits” and botanical mixes are being used to quench thirsts. According to Shape magazine, some say the drinks are great for older drinkers, too, because their “recovery time is much longer than in early adulthood.”



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Breakfast cake: When a muffin isn’t enough

Apparently, breakfast cake is a thing. Canadian Living reports, “The Loblaw Food Council kicked the year off on a high note by suggesting that in 2018 we consume our cake at breakfast (thereby allowing us all day to digest our dessert).”



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Sushi burrito: Raw fish, por favor?

A sushi burrito, or “sushito,” is a match made in Japanese-Mexican heaven, with a burrito-sized dry seaweed wrap stuffed with vegetables, fish or tofu, rice and other toppings. According to Forbes, these healthy food treats “are loaded with proteins and healthy fat. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish improve cardiovascular system, lower cholesterol levels and reduce age-related cognitive decline.”



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Charcoal: For burning food desires

Charcoal is not only used to cook food—it has become an ingredient in it. Charcoal ice cream, cocktails, lattes, hamburger buns, pizza crust and other blackened concoctions are turning up everywhere. About charcoal’s supposed health benefits, health professionals say that it could interact with medications and you should get a doctor’s advice first.



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The Werewolf diet – By the light of the moon

The journalists of Health report on this fad diet where you fast according to the lunar cycle. “Its quick-fix version involves a day of fasting allowing only water and juice during a full or new moon—and supposedly losing up to six pounds in water weight in a single day.” The weight lost from not eating will likely come right back.



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The Five-Bite diet – Not filling

Obesity doctor Alwin Lewis came up with the bright idea—you can eat whatever you want, but only five bites of it. Just five bites for lunch and again for dinner. Well, this would certainly keep your food intake down but you might not be eating enough with this food trend, and your diet wouldn’t be well rounded if you were only munching on your favourite burger or doughnut.



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Okinawa diet – A long and bitter melon life

Okinawans live long lives, which may be partly attributed to their diets, with lots of vegetables containing antioxidants—including bitter melon and purple sweet potato—and moderate amounts of meat. But it’s not just what the people eat, it’s how much. “’Eat until you are 80% full,’ is the mantra,” reports the Guardian. Being socially and physically active may also be factors.



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