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The current nutritional trends focus on energy giving, high fibre, low calorie food, loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Emphasis, for everyone, is on designing a nourishing meal with balanced nutrient intake to ensure excellent health. According to UAE-based master dietician, Helen Dodd, eating more plant foods, opting for smaller portions and bringing mindfulness to meal times are the top dietary trends for this year.

Another significant dietary trend noticed is the spotlight shed on a particular food group or a specific vegetable. Each year, a new vegetable, fruit or food item is brought into the limelight as the most significant food item or the ultimate recipe ingredient that should be a part of one’s regular diet and publicized under the marketing term, Superfood.

In the current year, the Superfood is pulses. Helen’s trend-watch, written for the UAE’s online health and wellness community Enritsch.com, says beans and pulses will be the preferred super foods of the coming year. “Beans and pulses are big news for 2016. They are filled with protein, fibre and release any carbohydrates they have slowly, they are bursting with nutrients, can actively help lower bad cholesterol and what’s more they are extremely comforting and satisfying,” said Helen who holds an MSc in dietetics and has been practising nutrition for many years. A recommendation that is in line with a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly, which declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, pointing out that “Pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas are a critical source of plant based proteins and amino acids for people around the globe” The resolution points out the environmental benefit as well as the health benefits, “Recognizing that pulses are leguminous plants that have nitrogenfixing properties which can contribute to increasing soil fertility and have a positive impact on the environment, Recognizing also that health organizations around the world recommend eating pulses as part of a healthy diet to address obesity, as well as to prevent and help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary conditions and cancer”.

Helen is recommending that people base half of their lunch and dinners around plant foods. “Try them in soups and stews and with chillies in salads or tossed on baked potatoes,” she advises. Pulses have the potential to look very attractive because of their variety of size, shape and colour, with skilful plating. Meal portion sizes are also something to be keeping a close eye on this year, according to Helen. “This again is not sci-fi revolutionary information, but so many of us struggle to get it just right. Over the years portions have gotten bigger, plates have gotten bigger and it is now acceptable not to share a sharing bag of maltesers. We have forgotten how to stop.” Helen’s portion guide to getting it right is to have one palm size of lean protein, one fist size of slow release carbohydrate and two outstretched ‘hands’ of salad and vegetables for each meal. Fruit is two cupped hands, and nuts one small cupped hand. Two thumbs up for cheese and one index finger for the occasional chocolate!

“If you do you’ll have energy, get all your nutrients and feel satisfied, no faddy diet needed,” she says. And this year we’ll all be more mindful of what we eat, taking meal times more lowly, savouring the aromas and tastes and switching off from other distractions to enjoy the experience, “so we can get back to enjoying the simple pleasure of eating.” Helen is a health and wellbeing expert who can be contacted free-of-charge via Enritsch.com, a community where visitors can interact and seek advice to improve their lives.