Nutritionists predict 2026’s biggest healthy eating trends. And they’re SO much easier than you thought!

Our experts:

Priya Tew, specialist dietitian from Dietitian UK and author of The complete low-FODMAP Diet Plan book
Amanda Ursell, registered dietitian
Ian Marber, nutritional therapist
Jennifer Low, dietitian
Lucy Jones, chief clinical officer, Oviva
Bridget Benelam, nutrition scientist, British Nutrition Foundation
Juliette Kellow, registered dietitian

2026 promises to be all about ‘low-lift’ nutrition – easy and effortless with real health benefits. Find out what leading nutritionists believe the new year will hold for our health...

Discover our full range of health guides, whether it's intuitive eating, diet and lifestyle tips to help manage stress, or diet tips and foods that help you sleep.

“Fibre is going to be in the spotlight”

Priya Tew, specialist dietitian from Dietitian UK and author of The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet Plan

The biggest nutrition buzzword in 2025 has been gut health and the cornerstone of a healthy gut is dietary fibre, says Priya. “In 2026 I think we can expect the focus to move away from protein to fibre. Fibre has notoriously been one of the least sexy of nutrients, so it is great it gets its moment in the spotlight,” she adds.

A 2019 analysis in The Lancet confirmed that higher fibre intake dramatically reduces the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. “Fibre acts like a prebiotic, feeding the beneficial bacteria in your gut. This process aids in lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, stabilising blood sugar and helping our bowels stay regular,” says Priya. “It really is a nutrient your body needs and many of us are dramatically undereating it.” The daily recommended amount is around 30g a day, however, it is important to increase your fibre in step-by-step increments. “Too large an increase in one go can lead to bloating, constipation and pain,” she says. Priya recommends that you increase your intake with easy, meal-by-meal swaps:

Morning boost: stir chia seeds or ground flaxseed into your morning smoothie or oatmeal.

Lunch upgrade: swap refined grains for a half-cup serving of lentils, black beans or quinoa.

Dinner hack: load your plate with non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach or asparagus plus a wholegrain.

“Better no- and low-alcohol drinks will end ‘sober shaming’”

Amanda Ursell, registered dietitian

“There’s a shift towards removing the stigma attached to not drinking alcohol, known as sober shaming, and I think non-alcoholic drinks will become even more popular in 2026,” says Amanda.

The number of people doing the Dry January® challenge is going to hit an all-time high of 15.5 million in 2026, and the number of low and non-alcoholic drinks is surging to meet demand. “The drinks industry has responded well to the challenge and we’ve got so many better-tasting and better-looking alcohol-free options than ever before,” claims Amanda.

“In Kent, where I live, there is a drive to promote alcohol-free drinks in pubs, where I've seen messaging on websites like 'No Alcohol, No Problem'. More pubs are offering low-alcohol (no-lo) options,” she says.

“We are seeing more good quality alternatives to beers, gins and ciders,” says Amanda. For example, there’s cider that’s medium-sweet, plus an ever expanding range of good lager options such as Lucky Saint, Small Beers and Days. The range of still and sparkling wines also continues to rise, too, with most supermarkets carrying several options.

Non-alcoholic drinks popular for their aromatics are now moving from niche to mainstream. These include Mother Root, a cider vinegar based switchel marketed as a feel-good aperitif with gut health benefits, and the botanical alcohol-free Botivo.

The health benefits of going alcohol-free are well documented and include better sleep, more energy. lower anxiety and blood pressure and a slimmer waistline. “Younger people are already setting an example with 59 per cent of Gen Z-ers in Britain over the age of 18 claiming to have not drunk alcohol in the previous 12 months,” she says. “It’s 55-64 age group who are the most likely to drink more than 14 units each week,” she says. As we get older it gets harder to metabolise alcohol, so we feel the effects more. Find more about alcohol units and download an alcohol tracker via DrinkAware.

“Choose greens for your prostate health”

Ian Marber, nutritional therapist

With prostate cancer diagnoses continuing to rise in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK, it’s important to look at preventative measures. Ian sees cruciferous vegetables – that’s cauliflower, cress, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale – as a nutritional positive in 2026 for men looking to lower their risk. The health benefits of these vegetables are well known, but they have an established link to some forms of cancer, notably prostate cancer, says Ian. “The benefits come from indole-3 carbinol and sulforaphane, natural plant chemicals that in part contribute to that strong, distinctive flavour of the vegetables,” he says.

“The most cited research comes from the Journal of Nutrition published in 2004, and suggests that increased intake of these phytonutrients not only inhibits the spread of prostate cancer in its early stages but also reduces the risk of contracting aggressive forms of the disease in the first place,” he says.

The best way to get the maximum nutritional benefits is to steam green veg rather than boil, roast cauliflower or broccoli and by adding greens to stir-fries or thinly sliced raw cabbage to slaws. Get started with these broccoli and cauliflower recipes.

“Trusting your body, not your tracker”

Jennifer Low, dietitian

In 2026 Jennifer says we’ll be turning away from the tech – great news for all of us who find calorie-tracking or entering your lunch choices into your app a major bind. “These trackers are proved time and again to be inaccurate. They can drive anxiety, create food rules and mean that we stop listening to the innate wisdom of our body,” she says.

Listening to what’s happening inside our body is called interoception. “One study found that greater interoception, especially awareness of hunger and fullness, meant that there were lower levels of disordered eating behaviours,” Jennifer explains.

“Instead of relying on external measures to tell us when to eat, what to eat and how much to exercise, my hope is that we start to listen to what is going on inside. Our bodies are capable of making sensible choices – most of us are just too busy, stressed and distracted to listen. Slowing down, being mindful and allowing time are key to having a healthy body and mind.”

“It’s going to be the year of the bean”

Lucy Jones, chief clinical officer, Oviva (the weight-loss app partnered with the NHS)

“I'm going to call it, 2026 will be the year of the bean,” Lucy claims. Why? Beans are a solution to so many of the emerging diet trends including protein-first, plant-based, sustainable (lower carbon footprint), high-fibre (gut health) and anti-UPF. Not to mention budget-friendly in an increasingly cost-pressured world.

Every 50g of beans/legumes you eat daily is associated with a six per cent lower all-cause mortality risk, which is incredible, says Jones. “There are now large campaigns aimed at increasing bean consumption such as the Bang In Some Beans movement with the ambition to double UK bean consumption by 2028. It is being supported by major supermarkets and has some fantastic health facts,” she says.

Diets that are low in beans are associated with up to 9,000 premature deaths in the UK each year. However, two thirds of the UK population eat less than one portion of beans per week.

Currently half of children’s bean intake and over a third of adult’s total bean intake in the UK comes from baked beans, so there’s huge potential to diversify the beans we are eating. As 95 per cent of the beans we buy are eaten at home, the campaign is calling on restaurants and cafes to offer more menu options using beans.

What are the positives? Beans are a lot cheaper than other meat alternatives – they cost on average 4.5 times less – plus one 400g can of baked beans contains half of the daily 30g fibre target. Beans have a lower carbon footprint that other sources of protein, but consumption needs to be seven times higher to align with the Planetary Health Diet, says Jones.

To avoid ‘bean belly’ or bloating, Jones says you should get into the habit of rinsing canned beans before you use them as this removes some fermentable carbs and sodium. Start by small servings of 2-3 tbsp and build up your bean intake over 2-3 weeks.

“A focus on nutrient-rich choices for weight-loss jab users”

Bridget Benelam, nutrition scientist, British Nutrition Foundation

Weight-loss drugs can be effective when it comes to dropping pound, controlling type 2 diabetes and improving quality of life, but they may result in diet and nutrient deficiencies if we’re not eating healthily, says Bridget.

“Long-term health could be affected if healthy eating and lifestyle changes aren’t addressed when taking these medications,” she says. “Eating foods that are rich in the nutrients we need relative to their calorie content is going to be key in 2026,” she says.

When your appetite is reduced, eating foods that meet your nutrient needs is vital. Look to include nutrient-dense foods like these into your diet:

Lean protein such as chicken, beans, fish and seafood or tofu, which provide micronutrients such as selenium, zinc and iodine
Wholegrains, which provide fibre, B vitamins and iron;
Dairy foods that contain calcium, iodine and vitamin B12 (or fortified alternatives)
Green leafy vegetables that provide folate, vitamin C and vitamin A.

“Making nutrient-dense foods the cornerstone of your diet can ensure that health and wellbeing are supported alongside weight loss. The British Nutrition Foundation will be releasing a meal planner in the New Year to illustrate how to put nutrient dense eating into practice,” says Bridget.

“A shift to natural plant-based products”

Juliette Kellow, registered dietitian

“As the desire to remove ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from our diet grows, we’re going to see a move away from products created to imitate meat to more natural alternatives,” says Kellow. “Some plant-based burgers that are designed to look and taste like meat can contain a high percentage of processed ingredients, which many people want to cut down on,” she says.

“As a result, I think we’ll see a shift away from buying plant-based burgers or sausages that mimic meat towards getting protein from more natural ingredients like beans, chickpeas, lentils, seeds and nuts.” It’s important not to fear plant alternatives that come under the UPF umbrella though, she advises. "Tofu and Quorn are considered processed foods, but these are still good choices as they provide protein, are low in fat and fit into a healthy diet, especially if they’re served with wholegrains and vegetables." Meanwhile, if you’re swapping meat for vegetables, Kellow says it’s important to look at the bigger picture. "If you choose a cauliflower steak as a meat alternative, it will count towards your five-a-day but it won’t provide much protein, so it’s important to serve it with a soya-based dip and sprinkled with nuts or seeds to up the protein content."

When you’re buying plant-based foods, always check labels, too, she says. "A long ingredients list doesn’t necessarily mean a food is bad for you. Take soya milk, for example. It may have more than five ingredients but many of these are nutrients added to fortify the product, such as vitamin D, calcium and vitamin B12." Kellow says to prioritise looking at the nutrition over the ingredients. "The products to leave on the shelf are those high in saturated fats, added sugars and salt. Also beware of plant-based products containing coconut oil, as these will likely be high in saturated fats," she says.

Nutritionists predict 2026’s biggest healthy eating trends. And they’re SO much easier than you thought!

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