The 7 Healthyish Ingredients We're Going to Be Using Nonstop This Year
New Year’s Eve is for stocking up on pét-nat and dressing like a disco ball, but New Year’s Day is the time to re-examine our fridges and pantries. This year, we’re stocking up on new obsessions and old favorites that make our food taste good and make us feel good too. Yeah, some of these foods are all-day cafe mainstays and burgeoning Instagram stars, but we love ‘em because they’re delicious and highly cookable. These ingredients make weeknight dinners faster, meal prep simpler, and healthy baking more delicious. Cheers to another year of healthy, delicious food.
Photo by Alex Lau1/7Oat Milk
Let the record show: 2018 was the year oat milk conquered the cafe and become the preferred alt milk of baristas and customers alike. Its creamy consistency foams like half-and-half—almond milk never stood a chance. This year, we’re bringing oat milk over the counter and into our kitchens, for baked oatmeal, turmeric lattes, and chia pudding….plus our morning coffee too.
Photo by Alex Lau2/7Chickpea Flour
We’ve tried plenty of alternative flours, from cassava to buckwheat, but chickpea flour has our full attention. It’s naturally gluten-free, packed with protein (six grams per quarter cup!), and wonderfully nutty. Chickpea flour can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio for heavy flours like rye or buckwheat, but it won’t have the same rise that you’d get from the all-purpose stuff. Use it in Burmese tofu, fry-like fritters, or to create socca pancakes topped with vegetables and crispy chickpeas.
3/7Black Lentils
We love all kinds of lentils, but beluga lentils are a true staple. These small black legumes cook quickly (30ish minutes!) and hold their shape well thanks to a thicker skin than red and green varieties. Plus they’re a true recipe workhouse, bringing texture, flavor, and protein to everything from salads to soups to loaded sweet potatoes. Make a big batch over the weekend, and you’re set for the week.
Peden + Munk4/7Kombu and Katsuobushi
Ever since Salt Fat Acid Heat hit our Netflix queue, it seems like everyone we know is stocking up on kombu and katsuobushi to make dashi. The flavorful broth is delicious sipped straight-up, but it’s also a wonderful base for brothy noodle bowls and other soups. Stash dried kombu seaweed and katsuobushi or bonito fish flakes in your pantry and keep a batch of dashi in your fridge for emergency ramen and steamed fish.
5/7Medjool Dates
Dates are an all-star natural sweetener, and we always have a few stashed away for an added burst of sweetness. We love medjool dates, which are bigger and softer than other varieties, and perfect for dressing up salads, roasted vegetables, and even a bracing celery slaw. They’re also perfect for healthier baking, like bliss balls and our newest obsession: chocolate-cashew chia pudding.
Photo by Chelsie Craig6/7CBD
It’s no surprise that CBD conquered 2018—a year when everyone was looking to be a little more calm. The non-psychoactive cannabis compound popped up in all kinds of supplements, from gummies to artisanal chocolate bars, but we’re moving on to cooking with CBD in the new year. Sure, anyone can add a few drops to their morning latte, but we plan on incorporating tinctures into salad dressings, pestos, and even granola. 2019 is looking chill.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Chris Morocco, Prop Styling by Bea Chastka7/7Freekeh
Whole grains are nothing new (they’re literally ancient, in fact), but we like to switch ’em up to keep things feeling fresh. This year we’re all about freekeh, a high-fiber, protein-rich green durum wheat. Freekeh has a slightly smoky flavor that’s great in grain salads and even hot porridge, plus it’s sturdy enough to stand up in the fridge for days. It’s our new staple for the new year—and beyond.
