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New Buzz Foods For 2013

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A new year brings new foods for us to buzz about. In fact, it seems like every year we are told to add something new to our diets -- and cut something out.

Take eggs for instance. For a while we were told not to eat them too often because they could raise cholesterol levels. Now, those are back on the good list for 2013.

Natalie Kane spoke with Paul Kriegler, a dietitian from Life Time Fitness, about what other foods we are going to hear a lot about in 2013.

"We'll see a shift back to wholesome unprocessed foods in 2013 because they are so promising in helping us maintain our health," Kriegler said. "They are simple and the user gets to control how they flavor them."

Kriegler said kale is going to be one of the foods with the strongest buzz.

"It's a very hearty green with a lot of flavor. It's best used blanched, sautéed and baked," Kriegler said. "Kale is packed with fiber and antioxidants."

Another item that people will be talking about and, likely, eating more heartily this year: grass-fed meats.

"Grass-fed," Kriegler explained, "means the animals have been raised on pasture, which allows them to produce meat that is much lower in fat than most conventionally-raised meats."

Sometimes the most buzzed-about foods are things that many wouldn't have heard of a year earlier. Take kabucha, for instance.

"It's a brewed beverage that relies on natural yeasts and bacteria to ferment natural sugars.  It helps restore healthy bacteria in the digestive system," Kriegler said.

Other items that are expected to be big deals in 2013 include hemp hearts and chia seeds, both of which boast omega 3 fatty acids.

"Omega 3's are potent at fighting inflammation," Kriegler said. "Plant sources aren't as good as animal sources like salmon, but they offer something crunchy and fun to eat."

One more thing to keep an eye out for is freekeh, which refers to an ancient roasting process for green wheat -- harvest young wheat, light whole pile of grains on fire and the wheat berries get roasted. This potential replacement for rice, couscous and pasta offers more protein.

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