Which trendy foods are worth buying?

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Trendy foods are taking over sections of your local grocery store, but are they worth the hype?

Many of the foods you may have never heard of and all of it can be confusing for the consumer.

"There is all these blogs, there are all these nutritionists, that are telling you what not to eat what to eat," said shopper Alyssa Miller.

Because some of the items are downright expensive, an author and registered dietician helped us understand which trendy foods in the world of nutrition are actually worth buying.

"They are exciting and new and they are great options because they do add nutrition to our diet, but do you need to spend the money? Not really," dietician Monica Bearden said

CHIA SEEDS

One of the more expensive trendy foods are Chia seeds. They are tiny, edible seeds and they are easily digestible. Bearden says these might be worth the money because one tablespoon goes a long way.

"They are high in protein and fiber and they make you feel fuller longer because they gel in your stomach so they are a great addition to your diet," Bearden said.

ACAI BERRIES

You may have heard of acai berries. You can find it in juice form; we found a 32 ounce bottle for $7.99.

But Bearden says regular berries found at the store offer the same nutritional value.

"The best way to get your berries is to go local no need to spend extra money," Bearden said.

FLAX SEED

Bearden says flax seed has great nutritional value.

"It has omega 3s, it has protein and some fiber. The thing is you got to grind it up to make use of it," Bearden said.

WHEAT GRASS

Have you ever gotten a shot of wheat grass in your smoothie? Bearden says if you haven't, it isn't a must-buy.

"You can get the nutrition from other foods, you don't have to have wheatgrass in your diet to be healthy," Bearden said.

QUINOA

Quinoa is on Bearden's own grocery store list.

"We should be eating quinoa, it's a great replacement for rice, higher in protein higher in fiber great nutrition," she said.

WHEAT GERM

Another one of her favorites is wheat germ because of its many nutritional bonuses. It's also not very expensive to use as an extra boost in your food.

"You can use soups and casseroles. It's high in protein, vitamin and high in fiber," Bearden said.