Nutrition and healthy eating

Grow it, preserve it, enjoy it. Home food preservation has had a rebirth. More people are preserving produce from their gardens or from the farmers market. By doing so they can satisfy their own preferences for the amount of sugar, salt or other seasoning. Other factors that are likely contributing to food trend are a weak economy, food recalls and a desire to improve food safety by controlling it from the source to the table.

Make room in the kitchen. Whether it's because more women are in the workforce or because more men are out of jobs — or just because it's chic to cook — more men are finding their way into the kitchen. What does that mean for the world of food? TV chefs, often men themselves, may have a greater influence on home cooking. And kitchen utensils will rise to gadget status to appeal to men.

Technology to the rescue. Want to find a good vegetarian meal or see the specials are at your local bisto? There's an app for that. Mobile food applications are exploding and offer convenience beyond the name and address of a restaurant. You can get the menu, the prices and a reservation. Everything you need to cook a healthy meal at home — recipe, shopping list and coupons — is also at your fingertips.

Keeping close to home. Consumers are returning to their local merchants for meats, breads and cheeses, and patronizing mom-and-pop diners for local fare. The reason? They want to know more about the source of the food they eat. At the same time, consumers are shying away from big businesses that they perceive cut corners in food quality, nutrition or safety.

Expanding the comfort zone. Chefs are entering school cafeterias to not only jazz up the menus but to also entice kids to eat healthy food. Kids and adults alike have a comfort zone when it comes to foods appearance and flavors. Breaking away from barriers and bad habits can be an exciting food adventure — and one that can wake up your taste buds and improve your outlook on nutritious foods.

The search for the next super food. Baby boomers don't just want functional foods, they want "super foods" — foods that supply nutrients to help preserve vitality and delay aging. The search for the next great super food is already in progress. Let me save you some time — visit your produce aisle and you'll find an abundance of super foods.