Look Out for These Food Trends in 2017

At a BittenLA conference in October, food experts and innovators gave us the lowdown on what they think will be the next big thing. Lucky for you, you'll also be in the know. Get ready to incorporate these trend-setting ingredients at your next family party!

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Karen Caplan, daughter of produce pioneer Frieda Caplan (who introduced kiwis to the United States) and mompreneur behind Frieda's Inc., got us excited about some still overlooked foods.

One is the sweet yet savory black garlic, which not only tastes amazing (think a caramelized, teriyaki flavor) but also has great health benefits. Though the fermented garlic has been hugely popular in Korea, it only gained popularity in the West after several revealing studies, including how black garlic has twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic.

Jackfruits (not to be mixed up with the smellier durian) have a musky, mango-like taste with a soft yet stringy texture. It's the largest tree fruit in the world and is high in protein, potassium and vitamin B. Jackfruit's increasing popularity in the U.S. can in part be thanks to the rising number of vegetarian and vegans because the fruit works wonders as a meat substitute (amazing, right?).

You can freeze, dry or roast it, as well as add the "meat" to soups and even desserts. Don't forget about the fruit's seeds, which can also be boiled, roasted or turned into flour.

RECIPE: Jackfruit "Tuna" Melt Sandwich

Move over, La Croix! Moms, meet SpikedSeltzer, also known as the alcoholic LaCroix. (Hearing about this just got us bubbling in excitement!)

SpikedSeltzer is made from purified water and natural ingredients. At 6 percent alcohol, the drinks really focus on crisp, fruity flavors instead of the heavy sweetness of other types of alcohol. Drink it straight, pour it over ice or mix it in a cocktail at your next mom's night out.

Speaking of mom's night out, waste no time with these new Jell-O shots, called jelly shots. Freya Estrella, the mom-to-be and co-founder of Coolhaus, is behind these all-natural, premium and portable cocktails. (Moms, we can't emphasize the "portable" part enough.) Flavors include fresh lime margarita, an Old Fashioned and a Moscow mule.

At BittenLA, trend forecasters talked about some crazy technology that are in the works, especially in tableware. Think of a spoon that can measure your caloric intake as you eat, or better yet, an electric spoon that can make veggies taste like chocolate. No, we're not kidding! The Taste Buddy stimulates certain taste buds through low-level electrical currents and allows the brain to perceive different flavors from what's actually present. The team will soon work on a prototype. Please tell us this is the answer to picky eaters!

RELATED: The Picky Eater Problem Is Harder to Crack Than You Think

Our bug-eating kids might be onto something. While insects have been a popular food in other countries, they're still mostly controversial in the U.S. But things are looking up! Julia Plevin and Lucy Knops of Trouble Makers, Inc. are trying to take the "ick factor" out of eating insects, which is a viable solution to the world's food shortage. They're starting with Critter Bitters, cocktail bitters made with toasted crickets. (Fun fact: Four crickets have as much calcium as a glass of milk!)

This burgeoning field also includes protein bars made of ground-up insects, cricket flour and "chocolate chirp cookies."

RELATED: The Smoky Bee Cocktail

Homa Dashtaki, the founder behind The White Moustache, ran into an interesting problem with her yogurt business. What does she do with the loads of liquid byproduct that remains after the milk has been curdled and strained?

Well, let's just say she didn't let it go to whey-ste. Dashtaki is bottling up the whey, which is loaded with probiotics and calcium and great for your gut, and planning to sell it in three flavors (plain, ginger and lime, and honey).

RELATED: How Probiotics Can Change Your Child's Life

White Moustache has also experimented with five-gallon buckets of whey as a turkey brine, and the results were amazing (even the pan drippings!). Head yogurt maker Jennifer Anderson is also trying to use whey instead of water to make no-knead bread.

They might be onto something. Trend forecasters expect the next few years to be promising for whey. The market value of whey proteins and powders is expected to reach approximately $6.1 billion in 2020.

Regardless of what side of the debate you're on, this emerging trend might soon be seen in neighborhoods across the U.S. Jeff the 420 Chef believes food incorporating cannabis will continue to be more mainstream, especially after an unprecedented number of states voted on legalizing marijuana in November. Jeff cooks and bakes with specially crafted and strain-specific cannabutters and cannaoils and can see a near future where cannabis chefs will be in the run for Michelin stars.