I am not a fan of fad diets. I believe in healthy eating for life. With that said, I do get excited about some health food trends that the media grabs onto.

Here are my top three favorites:

1. Veggie pasta

Move over ancient grain and whole wheat pasta, hello veggie pasta. I often teach my clients to switch over their pastas to whole wheat pasta or ancient grain pasta, such as quinoa pasta.

While these are great ideas for adding fiber into your diet, they are not quite as awesome as the real deal — whole grains unadulterated in their original form.

But who needs grain-based pasta, when you can make pasta out of a veggie like zucchini? Look into picking up a spiralizer to try this trend that is sure to stick!

2. Spices galore

In 2016, the FDA announced its plan to reduce sodium in processed foods. This is excellent news! Salt is the number-one culprit in high-blood pressure, which is a huge contributor to heart disease.

As a result, many food companies are doing something that I have recommended to many of my clients. They are using spices like oregano, ginger, cumin, paprika, and turmeric instead of so much salt!

Get creative. Google “homemade healthy spice blends” and you will find a plethora of delicious ways to flavor your food with little to no salt!

3. Plant butchery

Yes, you read that right. What is plant butchery? It is the art of using plant-based food in traditional meat dishes and making it taste “just as good” to big-time carnivores.

For example, portabella mushrooms can stand in for burgers. Look out for options of chickpeas and legumes as stand-ins for meat. We’re not talking mock meats that are processed like soy dogs or seitan stir-fries, we’re talking plants instead. This is so awesome!

Try some of these trends for yourself. I guarantee restaurants will begin offering them and recipes galore will be entering the scene daily.