Adaptogenic mushrooms, anyone? Nutritious Life founder and food-trend-spotter extraordinaire Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, knows a thing or two about recognizing healthy trends in nutrition and wellness (and, yes, we should keep our eyes peeled for adaptogenic foods this year!)

Keri recently shared the latest trends to incorporate into your diet as featured guest expert on The Wendy Williams Show for a segment on … you guessed it! … Healthy Food Trends for 2022 with guest host Michael Rapaport.

“I love these trends because they really should be lifelong friends of ours, not just trends,” Keri says.

Watch the segment above or read on for Keri Glassman’s top food healthy food trends for the year ahead.

Keris’ 5 Food Trends for 2022

Brain foods

Many of us have been stressed out for the last couple of years and who couldn’t use a little mood boost? Whether you’re looking for a way to fight depression or looking for sharper focus and concentration, brain foods can help. These include:

• Salmon: The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon help reduce the risk of depression.
• Leafy greens: Improve memory, among many other health benefits.
• Nuts and seeds: A great sources of vitamin E and anti-inflammatory nutrients that help reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
• Green tea: A favorite of Keri’s, green tea contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant, and an amino acid called L-theanine that helps us stay calm and focused. So you get a double brain boost with green tea.
• Eggs: Eggs have choline, which helps produce acetylcholine, a chemical that aids with memory and learning, and is good for overall brain health.

Yuzu

Yuzu is a citrus fruit cultivated in Japan, China and Korea. It’s super sour, so you want to use it like a lemon or lime versus an orange. The fruit is high in vitamin C, an anti-inflammatory that may be protective for cancer and is also immuno-supportive. You can use yuzu in desserts, in marmalades or in a salad dressing.

Fungi

Mushrooms are fungi though we really use them as a vegetable. They add flavor to our food without adding sodium and fat to our meals. Mushrooms are high in B vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. They are also high in something called beta glucan, which is a soluble fiber that helps to control cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Now, this is where we bring you back to those adaptogenic foods we mentioned earlier. There’s a group of mushrooms called adaptogenic mushrooms. Adaptogens are something that helps your body naturally respond to stress.

You may have heard of things called cordyceps, reishi and chaga (all adaptogenic mushroom varieties) and you can find these in powders, drinks and pill form. They’re good for supporting the immune system, improving energy and helping us de-stress.

Tahini

Tahini is roasted and ground sesame seeds. While it’s been around for a while, it’s experiencing a revival in popularity.

“This is one of my favorite little snacks or lunches,” says Keri. “You can drizzle it on a toast or I love mixing it with a sweet potato.”

Think of it as your new peanut butter or almond butter, Keri adds. It’s got fiber and protein and is also a good source of selenium, a mineral that’s great for your immune system. This is something we can all agree is worth adding to our diets right now as we focus on supporting our immune systems.

Turmeric

Turmeric is rich in a compound called curcurmin, which is highly anti-inflammatory. It helps fight free radicals that cause inflammation in our body and it also helps reduce the enzymes that create inflammation in our body.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow Keri on social media to get the latest on the science behind health and nutrition trends, and to stay up to date on her TV and podcast appearances.

(Image caption: Michael Rapaport and Keri Glassman on the set of The Wendy Williams Show on Feb. 2, 2022. Image credit: The Wendy Williams Show)