Pulses. Pulses are legumes - dried beans and peas. Examples include chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, soy beans, and lentils. The United Nations declared 2016 as the “International Year of Pulses.” Pulses are packed with fiber and protein, so you’ll be seeing more foods made with bean and pea flours, more meals with pulses, and different takes on the traditional hummus.

My Take: This is a trend I’ll jump into whole-heartedly. Pulses, or beans and lentils, are nutrient rich and have been associated with improved outcomes with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Incorporate this trend into your diet by using more lentils. Lentils cook up in about 20 minutes and don’t require soaking prior to cooking. Also, consider making your own hummus but try a pulse other than a chickpea, like edamame!

Sprouted Grains. Grains are traditionally seeds of different plants, like cereal grasses. When the seeds start to sprout, or grow into a new plant, they become sprouted grains. You’ll see more sprouted grains in cereals, breads, snack bars and rice/risotto mixes.

My Take: Sprouted grains are still considered whole grains and since they’ve already started “growing,” additional enzymes may make it easier to absorb certain nutrients, like vitamin C, and to digest. There’s some research that shows cardiovascular and blood sugar benefits, but more research needs to be done. Are sprouted grains healthier than traditional whole grains? Possibly. Either way, there are plenty of nutrient benefits associated with including whole grains in your diet.

Probiotics. Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that are found in fermented products like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. Look for additional foods to be fortified with probiotics – orange juice, waters, fruit juices, syrups, and even packets you can mix into a smoothie.

My Take: We’ve known for a long time that probiotics are beneficial to promoting gut health – especially conditions like constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel disease—but research is showing the benefits may go even further. While included probiotics is safe for most people, the question is whether or not these foods contain a load of probiotics that will actually be beneficial. It’s hard to say if the probiotics are giving you a healthy dose of bacteria, or just a way to market a food as “healthy.”

Full-fat. The era of “fat-free” may be over. You’ll likely see more full fat dairy products and fewer snack foods and cookies labeled as fat free. Expect to see more foods, like yogurt, to be made with whole milk.

My Take: Fat definitely doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it has had over the years. Fat has many health benefits and plays a key role in satiety, however, there still remains a thing as “too much fat,” and too much saturated fat can be detrimental to heart health. While I think it’s a good idea to nix the fat free foods, they taste better and help us feel satisfied faster and longer (plus sometimes we consider them “free” foods), be strategic about incorporating more fat into your diet. Portion control is still going to be key.