BOULDER, Colo. – Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) this week released its top 10 natural and organic food trends. This year, with increased interest in knowing where food comes from and what's in it, consumers will seek options with optimum health and wellness benefits, according to SRG.

Here are the 2014 trends SRG has identified:

1. Lusting After Lentils: From pasta to waffles, lentils are everywhere this year as the quest for new plant-based protein sources continues to rise.
2. More Than a Gut Feeling: Consumers continue their quest for prebiotics, cobiotics and probiotics. Our bodies' plumbing systems get more attention than ever. There are now foods whose main goal is to keep your gut happy.
3. Beets Can't Be Beat: Moving beyond salad plates, these nutritious veggies are showing up in in everything from juices to fruit leathers to yogurt.
4. Drink Your Grains: When it comes to getting your daily dose of whole grains, keep your bowl in the cupboard and grab a glass! Food manufacturers are now delivering whole grain goodness in new and unexpected forms, namely, beverages.
5. Honey That’s Not for the Bees: With growing concern about Colony Collapse and the resulting increase in honey sourced from China, food companies are now making bee-less honey from fruit-based formulations.
6. Top-Notch Toppers: Savory sauces and dressings are boosting the nutritional stats of salads, pastas and other entrees. This trend may go sweet with calcium rich chocolate and caramel sauces and creamy high protein cake frosting.
7. Let Cows Be Cows: Grass-fed steak is a request no longer limited to restaurants. Consumers are now looking for products from happily grass-fed cows, pastured chickens and pen-free pigs.
8. African Superfoods: From nutrient-dense baobab fruit snacks to moringa leaf snack bars and bissap tea, Africa is the latest hotbed of exotic superfoods.
9. GMO-free: Move over USDA organic certification. SRG says that the GMO-Free Project Verified seal “is the new badge of honor to display on one's package.”
10. Non-Dairy Goes Scary: Ever consider sipping pond scum? Now you can! Algae milk is the new kid on the block for  non-dairy milk. With impressive nutrition stats, lack of allergenic ingredients, and a sustainable production story, it's a worthy contender.

Read more at www.srg.com.