If you want to know where American food traditions are headed , look back . Many of today 's most healthful eating trends bear a strong resemblance to yesterday 's : Nearby farms offering nutritious , peak-of-season produce ; slow-cooked dinners that foster leisurely family meals ; an emphasis on meatless dishes and minimally processed foods . Sales of organic food have risen more than 20 percent per year since the 1990s , the USDA says . `` It used to be that packaging and convenience were all the rage . But today , food lovers also want to know where their food comes from and how to prepare it in the simplest , most natural way possible , '' says Fern Gale Estrow , M.S. , R.D. , a community nutritionist based in New York City . `` People still want and need to save time in the kitchen , but they 're not willing to sacrifice taste and nutrition to get it . '' Fortunately , these five food trends provide exactly that -- flavorful , nutrient-rich meals that are easy to prepare and can help you fulfill many of your dietary requirements . Flexitarianism . Like vegetarians , `` flexitarians '' eat a primarily plant-based diet composed of grains , vegetables , and fruits , but they occasionally obtain protein from lean meat , fish , poultry , or dairy . A quarter of Americans fit the description , consuming meatless meals at least four days a week , according to the American Dietetic Association . Why it 's here to stay : Flexitarianism is exactly what dietitians , nutritional researchers , and public health advocates have been recommending for years . `` It 's about eating a varied diet that 's low in saturated fat and high in fiber , '' says Milton Stokes , M.P.H. , R.D. , chief dietitian at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City , and an ADA spokesperson . Because the emphasis is on produce rather than protein , flexitarians are more likely than most Americans to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables and the vitamins and minerals they contain . CookingLight.com : Take our quiz on correct serving sizes . What it means for you : Studies show that people who follow this approach to eating generally weigh less and have lower rates of hypertension , heart disease , diabetes , and prostate and colon cancer . In one large study from Tulane University in New Orleans , Louisiana , researchers tracked the eating habits of more than 9,600 people over a 19-year period and found those who consumed fruits and vegetables at least three times daily lowered their risk of stroke by 42 percent , and their risk of cardiovascular disease by 27 percent . Locally grown foods . As people seek fresher foods , they have begun to connect with local family farms . Community-supported agriculture ( CSA ) programs and farmers ' markets give consumers direct access to produce , meats , cheeses , breads , honey , and other foods that are produced in nearby communities . In the past 10 years , the number of local farmers ' markets has more than doubled -- it is up from 1,755 to 3,706 , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Agricultural Marketing Service . Why it 's here to stay : Because they are so fresh , locally grown fruits and vegetables often have a nutritional edge over produce raised on `` factory '' farms . The latter , which constitutes most of the produce grown in the United States , is picked about four to seven days before it arrives on supermarket shelves , and shipped for an average of 1,500 miles before it 's sold , according to Local Harvest , a nonprofit agricultural research group . All that downtime takes a toll . USDA researchers have found that if it 's not handled properly , produce can lose up to half its nutrients in transit . Water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C are particularly vulnerable . What it means for you : `` Buying food from local vendors gives you input , '' says Gail Feenstra , R.D. , food systems analyst at the University of California at Davis ' Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program . `` You can find out how things were grown . You can also request varieties of fruits and vegetables that would n't be available elsewhere . '' And then there 's the most important reason of all : Because of its freshness , locally grown food tastes better than produce designed to be shipped . `` Growers ' priority is on taste and texture versus transportation , '' Feenstra says . Functional foods . Functional foods are enriched with nutrients that may not be inherent to a given food . Familiar examples include orange juice fortified with calcium or milk fortified with vitamins A and D. As sales of these foods have soared in recent years , more functional foods have reached the market , such as eggs and pastas with omega-3 fatty acids , sterol-fortified chocolates and high-fiber , high-protein flours . Why it 's here to stay : These foods help many people fill nutritional gaps . `` For example , if you 're lactose intolerant , you might find it difficult to meet your calcium quota , '' Stokes says . `` Calcium-fortified juice eliminates that problem , especially if a glass is already part of your daily diet . '' Likewise , if you dislike seafood , you can obtain extra omega-3s from eggs or pasta . CookingLight.com : Remembering real portion sizes . What it means for you : Functional foods are one helpful element in maintaining a balanced diet , not a substitute for it . `` Calcium-fortified orange juice wo n't supply other nutrients that a dairy source would provide , like protein , '' Estrow says . `` That 's why it 's best to rely on whole foods , which provide multiple nutrients that act synergistically . '' In the end , it 's fine to reap added nutrients from a functional food , but remember to fulfill the majority of your needs with naturally rich sources . Organic food . These are foods produced following a government-regulated practice of growing and processing that minimizes exposure to pesticides , herbicides , and other chemicals used in traditional farming . Organic food is one of the country 's fastest-growing market segments ; sales have risen more than 20 percent per year since the 1990s , according to the USDA 's Economic Research Service . Why it 's here to stay : Some organic foods may provide a nutrition boost . A research review of 41 studies conducted by the University of California at Davis found that , on average , organic produce contains as much as 27 percent more vitamin C , 21 percent more iron , and 29 percent more magnesium compared with traditionally grown foods . The kinds of packaged organic foods that now fuel the category 's growth , such as cookies , baked goods , and boxed meals , also benefit from a similar perception of healthfulness . What it means for you : `` An organic stamp is n't necessarily a guarantee of nutritional quality , but it is a sure sign that the food is less adulterated , '' Stokes says . An organic cookie , for example , may have just as many calories and grams of saturated fat as a nonorganic cookie . But in the case of produce crops that are commonly treated with high concentrations of pesticides , such as peaches , apples , and strawberries , choosing organic can minimize your exposure to these chemicals , according to tests conducted by researchers from the Environmental Working Group in Washington , D.C. CookingLight.com : All-star foods that fight for health . Slow food . Launched in Italy 20 years ago by restaurateur Carlo Petrini , `` slow food '' was originally designed to protest the encroachment of fast food on the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle . The trend 's principles -- choosing locally grown and produced items , preparing them in traditional ways , and eating with friends and family -- celebrate a relaxed approach to living that provides a welcome contrast to the fast-paced , eat-on-the-run lives many people lead . Why it 's here to stay : As with locally grown food , freshness is a key component of the slow food trend . `` Investing the time to choose what 's fresh that day will ensure that night 's meal will be at its peak nutritionally , '' Stokes says . This principle applies whether you 're making a family recipe or dining in a restaurant where the chef selects ingredients based on their seasonal availability . Family togetherness is also an important aspect of the trend . `` Slow food is all about cherishing the eating experience and getting back to what food used to be : a vehicle for drawing people together , '' explains Sara Firebaugh , assistant director of Slow Food USA . What it means for you : Healthful whole foods are a great start , but slow food goes a step beyond good nutrition -- and it 's a difficult one to quantify . No scientific studies have conclusively proven that friends and family make better dinner companions than televisions , but the benefits are clear . `` Slow food embraces the psychological component in food choices , meal preparation , and the act of eating , '' Estrow says . `` A healthful diet is n't just about what you eat but how you eat it . '' E-mail to a friend . For more tips on making healthy taste great , try Cooking Light - CLICK HERE . Copyright 2009 Cooking Light magazine . All rights reserved . Health and nutrition writer Maria Condo is a frequent contributor to Cooking Light . She lives in New York City .
`` Flexitarians '' eat a mostly plant-based diet but sometimes add animal protein . The number of local farmers ' markets has more than doubled in the last decade . `` Functional foods , '' those enriched with extra nutrients , can fill dietary gaps . Studies : Organic produce contains more nutrients than traditionally grown foods .