Seaweed Sundaes And Breakfast Cake – The Hottest Food Trends Of 2017 Revealed

Ah new year - the forced champagne, the pressure to party, the horrific programming rolled out by RTE, and a time to reflect on how it's been a full year since we didn't become better people. Before you start your weekly food plan (we all do it) and sign up to a zumba class (on my to-do list), take a look at what's coming our way in the shape of foodie trends for this year - it may leave you reassessing priorities. We rounded up the food predictions for 2017 where there is a clear focus on foods that are healthy, convenient, sharable and straight up sexy. 1.Photogenic Phood Instagrammable foods are still a hot trend which will continue this year - Currently there are over 100 million posts with the hashtag food porn. Posting pictures of our food online will continue to be a key trend this year with 'sexier' foods like the Australian-style "freakshake" ice-cream desserts taking over your screen. Where have you been all my life? 2. Health and Wellness Food will continue to be inspired by ancient wellness philosophies. Ingredients like tumeric will be at the core of new menus as people begin to look into Ayurveda more and to see what foods suit their specific constitution. Foodies agree that an emphasis on health and enhancing lifestyle will continue to top trends in 2017. 3. Cake for breakfast Research by Syracuse University has uncovered further benefits of dark chocolate in relation to brain function, memory and focus. This compliments nicely with the findings from Tel Aviv University that suggests that eating dessert at breakfast supports weight loss. The MM times reports that

"Adults were able to reduce their weight and their cravings if they ate a breakfast full of carbs, protein and ... dessert.

They also said something about trans fats and moderation but blah blah blah...what I am hearing is that dessert for breakfast is healthy. I will just have to have it in the car alone so I don't have to share with the kids. 4. Faux Foods We saw the rise of faux foods last year with a burger made entirely of plant extracts. In 2017, we can expect this trend to continue. Finedininglovers reports that there will also be faux 'butchers' stocked entirely with vegetables laid out like meat, as vegetarianism, veganism and associated foods continue to become more and more mainstream as more companies invest in meat-free technologies. 5. Seaweed Hailed as the new kale, seaweed will have a moment this year where we can expect to find it hidden in dishes as a slightly more umami hit. And it's not just the humble sea week that will surge in popularity, sea vegetables are the new superfoods starring in many health food menus. 6. Sharing Gone are the traditional three-course meals - this year it will be all about sharing platters and bowl foods which give a much more relaxed approach to food. Now, pass the freakshake. What food fantasy's would you like to see coming our way? Check out Our Cheat Guide To Making The Perfect Instagrammable Cake