5 Trendy Good-For-You Foods

By Violet Owens for YouBeauty.com

Here’s a trend to be excited about: Americans are adding more beautiful foods to their diets.

The American Dietetic Association just issued their 2011 Trend Report, and it looks like some of us are finally listening to the pleas of nutritionists across the land. “We are seeing single foods, such as berries and fish, growing in consumption,” says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association Spokesperson Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo. “For many people, they are an easy fix for better health -- consumers feel better if they are doing something without really having to engage in major behavior changes or delving into emotional reasons for eating.”

And let’s face it, small, incremental improvements, not major overhauls, can be the difference between failing and succeeding.

According to their survey, a substantial amount of Americans cut back on those U.S. staples, beef, pork and dairy. “Cutbacks on pork, beef and dairy may reflect movement toward lower overall consumption of saturated fat; however, cutting back particularly on dairy can also reduce people’s intake of calcium and vitamin D,” noted Gazzaniga-Moloo. Good to know, good to know.

What else? People claimed they've increased their consumption of berries, low-fat foods, omega-3 fatty acids, low-sugar foods and low-sodium foods, which is totally great news. Here’s why you should keep up the good work: