This year, we doubled down on hydration, sipping from gargantuan water bottles and even salting our water. We also blended cottage cheese into everything from ice cream to waffles, while searching for foods to help quell our anxiety.
What’s in store for 2024? Let’s read the tea leaves.
1. Caffeine-free is the new sober.
Every wellness newsletter I subscribe to reminds me that “sleep is everything” — from better skin to enhanced memory and athletic performance to boosted immunity. For many young people who’ve already opted out of cocktail culture, the next frontier is a caffeine-free or low-caffeine lifestyle since caffeine, like alcohol, disrupts sleep for most people especially when consumed in the afternoon.
An estimated 39% of coffee drinkers are actively looking to decrease their caffeine consumption, according to a recent survey. While decaffeinated options for coffee and tea have existed for decades, they may not have been the most flavorful sips. Historically, decaf has been made using chemical extraction to remove the caffeine, but newer blends are soaking unroasted beans in a water solution for several hours, which opens up the bean and allows the caffeine to be extracted. The beans are then dried and roasted.
Look for more robust decaf options in the coming year, like Figgee, a brew made from organic roasted figs.
2. Alternative proteins from unexpected sources
After pea, soy, rice, hemp and algae made their way into our food supply as alternative proteins, people are searching for even more plant-based options.
The latest to make its way into the food supply is a protein called RuBisCo (known as Rubi protein), from a leafy green plant called lemna, which requires 10 times less water than soybeans, 100 times less than beef and can sequester five times more carbon per acre than a healthy forest. Plus, since lemna grows in water, it uses absolutely no land. It can also be used in baking or as a meat alternative and has all nine essential amino…
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