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What’s in store for 2014?

Happy New Year! Here’s a line-up of some top food and nutrition trends for the coming year.

Cauliflower. 2013 was the Year of the Vegetable, and the trend continues with cauliflower surpassing kale as this year’s most wanted veggie. What I love about cauliflower is its versatility – you can mash it boil it, roast it and even grill it. My fave recipe these days is quinoa salad with roasted cauliflower, sunflower seeds, diced avocado and avocado oil.

Foraging. Last summer, I was on a wilderness hike where the guide showed us how to identify and pick edible berries and leaves. It was an introduction to foraging! Our country’s backyard is a natural bounty for foraging. Think berries, fiddleheads, wild leeks, dandelion leaves and mushrooms (just make sure you know your mushrooms since some can be poisonous!)

Kañiwa. Say hello to quinoa’s cousin – kañiwa (pronounced “kah-nyee’wah). Also known as “baby quinoa”, kañiwa is a tinier grain than quinoa (ok, technically both are seeds), offers protein and grows in the Andes Mountains too. Cook kañiwa the same way you would quinoa. One difference is that kañiwa doesn’t contain saponins, so you don’t have to rinse it before cooking.

Mashups. It all started with the cronut – the hybrid croissant and donut. What’s next? Reportedly, we can look forward to ramen burgers (buns made from fried ramen noodles), macaroon ice-cream sandwiches and kale coladas!

Spices. On the radar is a range of spices inspired by Asian cuisines. First off is a Japanese “salt and pepper” spice called shichimi togarashi. It’s a blend of seven spices. Another biggie is gochujangi, a Korean condiment made from hot chili paste and fermented soybeans. I can taste the heat already!

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