What we eat and why has been changing since the 1930s, writes dietitian Karen Inge, who looks at our present food preferences and future trends.

From a focus on malnutrition during the Great Depression of the 1930s to today's obesity issues, our food has changed dramatically in the past 75 years – as has our understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet. Forecasts of nutrition trends are where our future lies, so let’s take a closer look at the top trends on the way.

Self-sustainable

No longer will it be okay to simply buy "green", sustainable produce, with low food miles. With the world’s population estimated to reach eight billion by 2025, we’re likely to need every piece of land to produce food – you may need to grow your own fresh produce in your backyard or at a community market garden. Already, some people have replaced flower beds with a veggie plot and compost bin, and barter with neighbours or online for fresh produce.

Nutrigenomics

Forget about what’s happening in your organs or blood, the future lies in understanding how nutrients can affect your cellular DNA. Scientists already know that an excessive kilojoule intake plus nutrient deficiencies can damage your genes, increasing the risk of diseases such as cancer. A radical innovation in nutrition would be where everyone gets tested for their genome health-nutrient status and then receives expert advice to tailor their diets.

Pharmafoods

If you think our food is already being doctored, get set for more blurring between what is a food and what is a pharmaceutical. With cholesterol-lowering margarines and milks with added bone-boosting nutrients in our supermarkets, we’re already experiencing a surge in functional, designer foods. Some people believe that supplemented foods are the key to ensuring we meet our needs for vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, while others are cautious and point out that you can’t always pluck out the "goodness" from a whole food.

Diets through the decades

• 1920s: Vegemite, a rich source of B-group vitamins, was developed by Australian chemist Dr Cyril P. Callister.
• 1930s: Functional foods, such as Milo, emerge from the Depression era as we attempt to give our families a muchneeded daily energy boost and prevent deficiency diseases, such as rickets.
• 1940s: Women start working outside the home and we get our first taste of Coca-Cola and tinned spaghetti from American troops, and Mediterranean cuisine from post-war migrants.
• 1950s: The beginning of the Asianisation of the Australian palate, with the introduction of the Chiko roll and Chinese recipes appearing in magazines and newspapers.
• 1960s: WeightWatchers, followed by Jenny Craig two decades later, launch in Australia. Our first fast-food outlet, Kentucky Fried Chicken, opens in 1968.
• 1970s: When the diet for Type 1 and 2 diabetes changed dramatically from sugar-free to high-fibre, nutritious carbohydrates, we all followed suit with the low-fat, high-carb approach to weight loss. The first McDonald’s outlet opens in Sydney in 1971.
• 1980s: We went mad over diet books, such as Pritikin, Fit for Life and Scarsdale, which required structure and dietary restriction. So started the yo-yo dieting merry-go-round. We also got physical in the gym and disco.
• 1990s: We tried to cleanse our liver, blast our fat with aerobics and super supplements from the gym, and spent a huge amount of time chatting about urban dieting myths.
• Post-2000: History repeats itself as the latest wave of very low-carb diets, such as The Zone and the new Atkins, take hold in the early years, only to be outdone by the Low GI Diet and CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. Now it’s spa cuisine, organic goodness, food miles, ethical produce and back-to-basics whole foods. Yippee!

Vote now: see if your favourite foods made the list in the Australian Women's Weekly Product of the Year and you could share in over $35,000 in prizes.