The food trends of 2016 that need to be left behind with the rest of the year.

While I love gawking at a food trend as much as the next person, it’s safe to say in 2016, we’ve taken it too far. Sometimes a brief scroll of the internet can leave you hanging your head in shame and begging for the New Year to roll around so we can let go of all the bizarre foods that quite frankly, missed the mark completely.

What happened to the days where we just let food be food and we didn’t have to come up with a hybrid everything? Yes, dear cronut, I’m looking at you. While rainbow foods and kale chips sounded like a great idea at the time, I’m inclined to leave them in 2016 where they belong.

Feels. Image: Giphy.com

But never fear, if you don’t think you could possibly let go of your spiralised zucchini or ice-cream burgers, I’ve found the perfect alternatives. Here are just some of this year’s food trends that we need to leave behind with the rest of the year:

Food trend #1: Putting ice creams into burgers.

The Golden Gaytime burger. I’m talking about the Golden Gaytime burger. You know the one that your friends have probably been tagging you in on Facebook saying “WE NEED TO TRY THIS”. Yeah… nope. Mixing what is supposed to be savory bread and a favoured childhood ice-cream sounds like a one-way ticket to me never enjoying anything on a stick again.

We present to you without further comment, the Golden Gaytime burger. Image: news.com.au

Alternative: Just eat the dessert.  

Dessert is not the devil. Of course, it’s not ideal to have a piece of cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner but you can enjoy everything in moderation. I’ve recently become obsessed with Youfoodz’s Choc Protein Mousse which is whipped and chocolate-y and comes with a slice of banana bread. Need I say more? Besides being delicious it provides me with a bit of protein after I go to the gym to aid in muscle repair. It is the answer to all my hopes and dreams.

Food trend #2: Rainbow foods, namely bagels.

Yes, rainbows look pretty but that’s as far as it goes. While I like a good bagel as much as the next person, I’m certainly not going to be putting that amount of food colouring into my body. No way, no how. And it didn’t just end at bagels in 2016, oh no, there were even rainbow toasties and rainbow coffee. Really? Is that necessary?

It was everything I hoped for #rainbowbagel #newyork @thebagelstore

A photo posted by Renee Olstead (@renee_olstead) on Aug 10, 2016 at 2:28pm PDT

Alternative: Don’t underestimate the power of the holy protein ball.

If you’re after a snack that also gives you a bit of a sweet kick and gets your appetite under control, the protein ball is your answer. Youfoodz make a bunch of them and they’re all equally yummy. Their flavours include banana crunch, choc cherry, peanut butter, coconut and my personal favourite, espresso. They’re packed with hidden goodies like dried fruit and nuts and honestly taste like a ball of heaven.

Food trend #3: Prepping the exact same meal for an entire week.

If there’s one thing that’s skyrocketed this year, it’s meal prep. When I look at those teeny tiny little boxes, all lined up with their perfectly measured portions and identical appearances, there’s only one thing I feel. Tired.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing all your meal prep for the week on a Sunday and popping them in the fridge to grab on the go. But honestly, who has the time? I know I don’t. Aside from not having the time, I’m a shocking cook, so just thinking about meal prep gives me heart palpitations.

A bit too time intensive. Plus, our Instagrams are getting clogged. Image: iStock.

Alternative: Opt for healthy fast food instead.

Believe it or not, it actually exists. How do I know? I’ve been eating healthy fast food day in and day out for the last few months. It’s called Youfoodz and I bet you’ve unwittingly been watching your co-workers sneak into the communal kitchen and popping their containers in the microwave.

Youfoodz whip up quick meals that taste a-maz-ing and deliver them straight to your door. There’s no prep or time wasting involved, all you have to do is scan their delicious menu and pick what you like. They’re always adding to their menu so you never get bored and their meals are all fresh, not frozen. They really are a cut above the rest and I don’t see myself ever going back.

Food trend #4: Trying to make vegetables think they’re carbs.

Think kale chips and spiralised zucchini. I’m not a big fan of trying to disguise certain foods as other foods. If you want a chip, just eat the chip. If you want pasta, just eat the pasta. Carbs are not evil and cutting out entire food groups is just plain unrealistic. Remember what I said before? Everything in moderation. Now say it with me. Every-thing in mod-er-ation. There you go.

Nice and certainly good for you. But let's not pretend this is a carb, okay? Image: iStock.

Alternative: Have your carbs but amp up the veggies.  

If you’re so concerned about the amount of carbs you’re eating, just decrease the portion and increase the amount of veggies that go with it. Youfoodz make a banging range of pastas, including chicken and mushroom carbonara, healthy spag bol and super green spaghetti which is packed full of veggies. They even do some awesome sweet potato wedges which are the perfect antidote to kale chips.

Food trend #5: It starts with green and ends with smoothies. Yes, green smoothies.

If I didn’t see someone walking down the street with a giant bottle of green-something, I’d have to question whether I was really in 2016. It’s the year the green smoothie exploded. Yet thinking about purchasing all those ingredients, let alone a blender, and then spending my morning chopping and blitzing sounds like my idea of a green tinged nightmare.

1 tsp chlorophyll in a glass of water every morning OR a freshly made #GreenSmoothie is very good for #colonhealth https://t.co/TWvXlrYT13

— Green Smoothie News (@grnsmoothiepwr) October 31, 2016

Alternative: Cold pressed juices are just as good.

Cold pressed juices give your body all the benefits of a green smoothie at a fraction of the time and effort. Youfoodz offer two cold pressed juices that do exactly what their names suggest, rejuvenate and replenish. They’re packed with vitamins, are nutritionally dense and allow your body to absorb all the good stuff minus the added sugars and artificial flavourings. You’ll never waste your time with the blender again.

It’s time for us to let go of all the crazy and bizarre food trends of 2016 and embrace great tasting food without the fads. And there’s no better time than now with Youfoodz doing six weeks’ worth of Christmas giveaways. All you have to do is visit their website to check it out. #winning

So, see you later meal prep and bye-bye green smoothies, I won’t be missing you but I will be loving your replacements in 2017.

What food trend do you want to leave in 2016?