Nutrition and diet have never been so popular! It's easy to see why people want to jump on every diet trend band wagon that comes along! But some of the trends are better for you than others. Elizabeth Somer, registered dietian and author of "Ten Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet", was here to help us sift fact from fiction.

10 Nutrition Trends: What to Watch and What to Watch Out For

On the other hand, don’t be fooled by labels and claims. The term "whole grain" is popping up on labels of foods that don’t deliver the goods. Loose regulations are allowing companies to make up their own whole grain claims. Adding whole grains to Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs or sugary bars such as Post Honey Bunches of Oats does not make them a healthy food!! Also, adding the word "wheat" to a product does not mean it is made with whole wheat! If you see the word "made with" assume it is made with very little whole grain, such as Kellogg’s Eggo NutriGrain Pancakes. Look for words like 100% whole grain.

2. Portion Control

Portions have ballooned up to 10-fold in the past few years. The bigger the portion, the more we eat and the more calories we consume, which explains why bigger portions is now considered one of the main reasons for American’s bulging waistlines. With child obesity rates now in epidemic proportions and signs of adult-onset diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and more being diagnosed in children as young as 9-years-old, you will see more emphasis on weight management and low-calorie options for kids. To meet this need, more and more companies are offering single-serve packages. For example, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Singles (approx 230 calories) help avoid downing a whole pint in one sitting. Teddy Grahams Graham Snacks (150-160 calories) are a 1.25-ounce version of the boxed grahams. Earthbound Farm Organic Apple Slices (30 calories) and mini-bags of baby carrots are great ways to conveniently grab-and-go your fruits and vegetables.

Common sense says the more plain fruits and vegetables you eat the better, but if you’re going to eat ice cream anyway, then smaller versions of these less-than-healthy foods make it easier to practice safer snacking. Of course, these foods tend to be more expensive. A cheaper version would be to make your own 100-calorie packs by plunking a few cookies or crackers into zip-lock bags...just make sure you don’t go back for more!

We’ve known for some time that the types of fats in fish, called the omega-3 fats, lowered heart disease risk. More recent research suggests these fats also help regulate mood, memory, and even maintain strong bones. Not all omega-3s are created equal. It is the omega-3 DHA that gives you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of preventing dementia and more. We need more fish in our diets to get ample omega-3s, but many people either don’t like fish or are concerned about mercury and other contaminants in seafood. That’s why you’ll see more and more products fortified with contaminant-free, vegetarian or algal DHA Omega-3, such as Gold Circle Farm Eggs, Silk Soymilk Plus w/ DHA, Rachel’s yogurts, Belly Bars, and Oh Mama! Nutrition Bars, all of which are vegetarian based made from marine algae, so people do not need to worry about ocean-borne contaminants as when they are consuming omega-3 DHA from fish sources. Look for Life’s DHA listed on the label so you know it’s a vegetarian source of Omega-3 DHA. Of course, wild salmon, sardines, and herring are still great sources of the omega-3s.

Everyone should limit sodium intake. Studies repeatedly show that everyone benefits from a low-sodium diet, both people with and without high blood pressure. To be able to use the words "reduced sodium" the food must have 25% less sodium than is found in the regular product. This is definitely a step in the right direction.

5. Reduced or Sugar-Free or Reduced- or Fat-Free Foods Are In

Never before in the history of the planet has anyone ever eaten as much added sugar as Americans are eating today. According to the USDA, we average about 100 pounds a year for every man, woman, and child or about 25% of our calories and 30 teaspoons a day! So, in theory, switching from regular to reduced sugar items should be a bonus, right? In some cases that’s true, such as with some fruit drinks that contain 130 calories with much of those calories coming from high-fructose corn syrup compared to the same "diet" fruit drink which contains the vegetables, but only has 10 calories per cup. In general, real food that has been "lightened", such as fat-free cream cheese or sour cream, fat-free half & half, fat-free refried beans, and sugar free yogurt, are great ideas!! Tropicana’s Essentials Light ‘n Healthy Juice Beverage is one of many products that has cut calories without sacrificing nutrition by adding a bit of Splenda, the artificial sweetener. In other cases when we’re talking about processed foods, you can’t assume just because a label says "reduced sugar" or "reduced fat" that the product has fewer calories. For example, 3 regular Milanos have 3 teaspoons of sugar and 180 calories, while 3 Sugar-Free Milanos have 170 calories.

6. The New Face of Antioxidants

Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E have had some rough times of late with several studies concluding that they aren’t quite the miracle supplements we hoped. However, a new wave of research is breathing new life into antioxidants with evidence that we can boost our bodies’ ability to fend off harmful free radicals not just by throwing antioxidants at them but by actually stimulating our own genes to make more antioxidant enzymes. Phytochemicals in colorful fruits like berries and vegetables like tomatoes and carrots are the first line of defense. Also, look for new supplements that show promise in enhancing your body’s own defense systems to ward off both disease and even premature aging, such as Protandim, which isn’t an antioxidant, like vitamin C, but rather actually boosts your body’s natural production of antioxidants.

7. Locally Grown and Organic

People are seeking fresher foods and many are turning to local produce markets, local family farms, and produce grown in their own communities. Because they are so fresh, locally grown produce often has a nutritional edge over produce raised on "factory" farms. The latter is typically picked four to seven days before it arrives on supermarket shelves, and shipped for an average of 1,500 miles before it is sold. If not handled properly, produce can lose up to 50% of its nutrients, especially vitamin C and folate. The fresh factor means the produce tastes better and is better for you.

These are foods produced following a government-regulated practice of growing and processing that minimizes exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals used in traditional farming. Organic food is one of the country’s fastest-growing food trends with sales rising more than 20% a year since the 1990s, according to the USDA. It’s not been proven that organic produce is any more nutritious than conventional produce, but is usually is lower in pesticides and gentler on the environment. (However, keep in mind that all the research to date on fruits/vegetables lowering disease risk and enhancing longevity have been on conventional produce!). If you can afford the price, go organic here. When it comes to processed foods, such as chips, cookies, and baked goods, and boxed meals, a food touted as organic is no guarantee the food is good for you. It may still be too high in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, calories, salt, or too low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Functional foods are typically fortified with nutrients that would not be there otherwise. Calcium-fortified orange juice qualifies is a functional food because calcium is not found naturally in this food, but calcium-rich yogurt doesn’t. Functional foods is one of the hottest trends in the food industry, but it is as controversial as it is profitable. A wealth of evidence supports adding calcium to soymilk to prevent bone loss, plant sterols to orange juice to lower heart disease risk , or folic acid to grains to prevent birth defects. But what about adding ginkgo to a drink that contains only water and 14 teaspoons of sugar (SoBe Green Tea 20 fl ounces) or vitamin A to a drink where the first two ingredients are water and sugar? Also, while it is relatively easy to keep track of how much of a nutrient or herb you are consuming when it is taken as a supplement, it is much more difficult to monitor your intake when it comes from a variety of processed foods. For example, we know so little about optimal doses, interactions, or long-term consequences of most phytochemicals and herbs that to begin adding them haphazardly into foods could produce any number of potential toxic effects.

9. Vitamin Waters

What could be better for you than water? How about enhanced waters! Bottled waters with added vitamins, herbs, and flavorings often replace good-old tap water. Hey girl, just because it’s clear doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free! You’d be better off drinking tap water and getting your vitamins from a supplement and avoiding the 30 to125 calories in that overpriced workout water. For example, Glaceau’s Vitamin Waters and SoBe’s Life Waters have 125 calories and about 33 grams or 8+ teaspoons of sugar per bottle, that’s the calorie equivalent of a Dairy Queen Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream with Toppings. Drink one a day and you’ll gain 13 pounds over the course of a year. You are better off drinking plain old tap water and taking a moderate-dose multiple vitamin.

Extra: Even the regular bottled waters might not be all they are cracked up to be. Just because it’s bottled, doesn’t mean it’s safe. One study that compared 57 bottled waters with samples of tap water found that one in four of the bottled waters had unacceptable levels of bacteria, almost 2,000 times higher than the tap water samples. The amount of bacteria probably won’t make you sick, but it is a warning sign, especially since regulations for bottled water are pretty lax ( it was only last year that the Food and Drug Administration finally set a standard on bottled water for acceptable levels of the highly toxic metal arsenic!). Besides, about a quarter of those "gourmet" waters come straight from the tap. Skip the middle-man and get your eight glasses a day from your own faucet or filter it yourself at home.

Pedometers track success at little cost: To help incorporate physical activity into their hectic schedules, more consumers will take advantage of the pedometer in hopes of walking 10,000 steps a day, which is approximately 5 miles. The pedometer will encourage people to get up and get moving. Programs such as "Colorado on the Move" and "Shape Up America" help encourage people to walk 10,000 steps a day to prevent obesity.

For more information on Elizabeth Somer visit her website.