50 Top Food Trends for 2020 What Will You See on Shelves and Menus Next Year? We’Ve Got a Comprehensive List
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HEALTHY EATING 50 Top Food Trends for 2020 What will you see on shelves and menus next year? We’ve got a comprehensive list. BY AMANDA MCDONALD NOVEMBER 19, 2019 SHARE TWEET This year has been filled with new Oreo flavors and hard seltzers, more food delivery apps, plenty of vegetarian meat alternatives, and more. Some trends of 2019 were predicted by food experts, while others were not (who could have known Popeye's chicken sandwich would be so in demand?). As the new year gets closer and closer, we're looking ahead and gathering 50 food trend predictions for 2020 from market analysts, Whole Foods reports, and other trend reports so you know what'll be big in the new year. After reading this, you'll feel like a food insider to what's hot in 2020! 1 Sustainable farming Shutterstock When Whole Foods released their top 10 food trend predictions for 2020, sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture was their number-one item. This refers to everyone involved in food sourcing—from farmers, the government, retailers, to restaurants—being more conscious in terms of biodiversity and carbon emissions. Look for those two key phrases—sustainable and regenerative agriculture—next year. 2 Fresh on-the-go Shutterstock Convenience is key, and more products will be available at gas stations and grocery stores that are not only good for the bus, train, car, or on foot, but are healthy and fresh. Whole Foods points out a lot of these foods you'll see on the go are ones you typically prepare at home but will be able to pick up when you need it while you're out, like hard-boiled eggs. Here's to healthier on-the-go options! ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads 3 Expansive kids' menus Shutterstock Gone are the days of chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and hot dogs as the only things on kids' menus. According to the Whole Foods Marketing team, upgrades are coming—including more adventurous foods that combine some of the previously listed trends like alternative flours (in the form of pasta) and sustainably caught fish. 4 Convenient store upgrades Shutterstock Expect the aisles at your local convenience stores to get a makeover, says Food Business News. These are made to meet the popular demands of those living around them, so that means higher-quality and healthier options—like charcuterie! 5 Transparent ingredients Shutterstock People want to know where their food is coming from, and with whole ingredients in snacks like beans, cauliflower, and other vegetables, consumers will be more likely to pick them up. When snacks like these hit stores, their stock will rise, even though they are packaged, Food Business News says. 6 Healthy refrigerated options Shutterstock To find some of 2020's newest trendy foods, you will have luck looking in the refrigerated section of your grocery or convenience store because they come off as healthier. Food Business News suggests that refrigerated meats, cheeses, and even protein bars will continue to gain popularity in the new year. 7 Continuing keto Shutterstock The keto diet will have more ready-made options at grocery stores for followers, according to Food Business News. The low-carb diet has consistently gained popularity in 2019, and that will continue into 2020 in the form of more keto-friendly packaged products. Instagram-worthy foods 8 Eaters Collective/Unsplash Photogenic foods have become popular with the rise in social media, and that won't change in the new year, says Food Business News. Huge milkshakes, elaborate drinks, and other exciting foods are totally shareable on Instagram. 9 Feel-good foods Courtesy of Halo Top With the rise in plant-based diets and healthy on-the-go foods, companies are starting to focus on providing foods that make consumers physically feel good. Like the Halo Top plant-based ice cream boom, Food Business News says holistic, stress-reducing foods will be a major player in 2020's most popular food trends. 10 CBD foods and drinks Shutterstock New cannabinoids, or the cannabis active ingredients, will be introduced into the industry in the next year, according to Food Business News. Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), bakery products, snacks, soups, and more will see themselves CBD-infused, which has shown to lower stress and anxiety. 11 Funky food textures Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald Along with consumers becoming more adventurous with their food comes new texture varieties, Food Business News predicts. This means more trendy foods like ultra-fluffy pancakes will make their way to menus around the country in the coming year. 12 Unique produce colors Shutterstock Bright colors appeal to consumers, according to Special Events. Next year, sprouts, leaves, and other greens will see the addition of new ones like broccoli rabe, sweet potato leaves, celtuce, and komatsuna in products. Also predicted to gain popularity are spirulina and butterfly pea, which are both blue; purple corn, broccoli, basil, and potatoes, says Food Business News. 13 Reusable products Shutterstock Expect to see more reusable cup days at Starbucks (which already gives a discount for bringing your own), plus strawless lids and sustainable utensils, Food Business News says. The trend allows consumers and customers to promote environmentalism, but also a ploy to get consumers to come back. 14 Flexitarians Shutterstock Good Housekeeping predicts more people will consider themselves flexitarians, or someone who eats meat and/or fish on occasion. This is thanks to the plant-based meat fad and other alternative options. 15 Middle Eastern fare Calum Lewis/Unsplash Spices originating from the Middle East, like caraway, cumin, anise seed, Baharat, and more, will be found in more dishes in 2020, according to Good Housekeeping. Sales of the spices rose last year in the UK and are predicted to continue. 16 Sustainable food options Courtesy of Burger King With more sustainable offerings for food and what it's served on, plus plant-based snacks and meat alternatives, Good Housekeeping expects consumers to buy products that are a higher-quality. According to them, 26 percent of consumers already buy better-quality meat and fish. Buying local 17 Anne Preble/Unsplash With more consumers caring about sustainability, local food from food markets and local farms will have their time to shine in 2020, according to Business Insider. The all-local approach produces food that tastes better and is better for you, according to the University of Vermont, and some restaurants, like Shake Shack (selling a s'mores "concrete" with pie from local bakeries) and Longhorn Steakhouse (adding watermelon and chicken from local farms to their menu items), have already started implementing locally-grown foods into their business. 18 An open kitchen concept in restaurants Shutterstock Business Insider predicts open-concept kitchens will be all the rage next year. This means diners will be able to see the kitchens at restaurants, making them feel like they are a part of the food being prepared and know where it's coming from. 19 Zero waste Shutterstock You may already bring your own shopping bags to grocery and convenience stores, but more and more zero waste practices will be upheld by consumers and chefs in the new year. Compostable produce bags and less packaging will become the norm, says Business Insider. 20 Meal kits Courtesy of Hello Fresh Home Chef, Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Plated—you, or someone you know, has probably tried out a delivery meal kit this past year. Having all the ingredients, pre-measured, right at your doorstep to cook a meal is too convenient to give up, Business Insider says, so it'll continue into 2020. 21 Lotus flavors Shutterstock Lotus seeds are great snacks that are loaded with antioxidants, and the Washington Post believes their "addictive" crunchiness and flavors are the reason. They are versatile and are already on shelves in flavors such as barbecue, sea salt, white cheddar, and butter tomato. 22 More specialization Shutterstock Places like Cane's, Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and more will thrive, according to Technomic, a foodservice industry researching company. With their one-dish-serves-all model, you know exactly what you're getting, and that is convenient for people on the go. 23 Private dinners Food experiences will grow during 2020, according to Technomic. That means meals booked through experience sites like Airbnb, The Dinner Party, OpenTable, and more that offer unique adventures won't be only for those who can afford their own chef. 24 Vending machine options Shutterstock Technomic predicts that the next wave of vending machines, kiosks, and pop-up stores will grow. When you walk through an airport, you'll likely already see different types of vending machines for electronics, everyday essentials, and even salads, but the economic impact of vending machines is supposed to be above $10 billion in the coming years. Plus, starting in January 2020, there will be healthier options in vending machines, like baked chips, string cheese, nuts, dried fruit, sealed sandwiches, and fresh fruit like apples and bananas. 25 Alternative flours Shutterstock Almond flour and coconut flour are out, banana flour and cauliflower flour are in! That's right, the Whole Foods Market team is predicting fruit and vegetable flours with protein and fiber to make their way to baking aisles soon. 26 West African Foods Shutterstock You may not know it, but many iconic flavors and foods originate from the west coast of Africa, and Whole Foods predicts that won't change in 2020. Tomatoes, onions, peanuts, lemongrass, plus more uncommon foods like sorghum, fonio, teff, and millet will be on more menus and in more groceries. 27 Less soy, more plant-based items Shutterstock The meat alternative and plant-based food boom of 2019 will continue into 2020, according to Whole Foods.