This is the time of year where we look forward to the year that we’re just beginning. We’ve seen lots of big food and nutrition trends through 2012, and we’ll see these and other trends continue in 2013. The Internet is filled with predictions for the new year, so here are some of my predictions for dairy in 2013. Breakfast: One of the healthy habits commonly adopted by people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off is to eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is a great opportunity to highlight dairy’s nutritional benefits—milk on cereal, a cup of yogurt or even cheese on a breakfast sandwich. Snacking: Another eating pattern that’s been associated with maintaining a healthier weight is smaller meals or snacks through the day. There are so many dairy products that work perfectly as healthy snacks: individually wrapped sticks of cheese, a single serve drinkable yogurt or flavored milk. More protein: Americans are looking for more protein, and this trend will likely continue this year. Dairy is naturally a good source of protein, including lowfat and fat-free sources of protein like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and milk. Less sugar: If people are looking for more protein in 2013, they’ll also be looking for a lot less sugar, especially added sugar. Processors have already done a lot of work to lower levels of sugar in flavored milk and are using non-caloric sweeteners in products like yogurt and ice cream. Some products even use filtration to remove the natural sugars in milk. Dairy with lower levels of sugar may become more popular over the coming year. Lactose-free: Gluten-free has been one of the fastest growing claims during 2012, but some are saying that 2013 might be the year of the “lactose-free” claim. While there is no nutritional reason for most Americans to avoid lactose, if consumers do seem to be looking for products with reduced lactose, there are still dairy products that can meet this need. Many natural cheeses are naturally lower in lactose, while specially formulated lactose-free milks are also available. Here are some other predictions for the New Year: What are you looking forward to in 2013?