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Breakfast tacos, cold brews and more: These will be the top 10 food trends in 2018
2018 will be dominated by plant-based food. Increasingly, people are turning towards ethical, cruelty free food options, which will reflect in next year’s forecast.
In terms of food, 2017 was a great year. It was all about conscious eating. While veganism remained strong throughout the year, others such as focus on healthy eating and zero-waste food were some of the top trends.
Similarly, 2018 will be dominated by plant-based food. Increasingly, people are turning towards ethical, cruelty free food options, which will reflect in next year’s forecast.
1) Plant-based products and meat substitutes: Plant-based ingredients are not only for vegans but also for the rest of us. Various nut milks like almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk are going to be popular. As more people give up meat, companies will focus on finding ways to create mock meat with plant-based ingredients. Euromonitor is estimating a 23% increase in the mock meat market globally over the next half decade.
2) Transparency: Consumers are more aware and want to know what are they eating. Thus, they will demand more information from manufactures about GMO-free, responsibly grown and raised, fair trade and health labels.
3) Nutritional powders: Right from matcha, cacao, ground turmeric to maca root have already become popular and are finding their way into nutri bars and soups. This year will see more variants making their way to supermarket shelves.
4) Puffed snacks: Healthy snacking will be on the rise. You’ll see a lot of variants puffed snacks like rice, sorghum and lotus seeds.
5) Middle Eastern flavours: According to retail giant Whole Foods, the year 2018 will be about Middle Eastern fare. Right from spices like harissa and za’atar to dishes such as shakshuka will gain prominence.
6) Floral flavours: Until now edible flowers were used as decoration on meals, but now you’ll see flower flavours becoming big. Think: lavender, rose and hibiscus in everything, right from shakes to lattes.
7) No wastage cooking: Chefs will spend more time in coming up with ideas to use all parts of a plant or animals. So, like you have nose-to-tail, you’ll also hear terms like root-to-stem.
8) Cold brews: Though the trend started in the middle of 2017, you’ll see a lot more coffee brands experimenting with cold brews.
9) Healthy and tasty: Overall, the healthy food segment will see a rise with various offerings such as health mixes, healthy drinks and appliances that make eating healthy easy.
10) Tacos: If 2017 was all about tacos (remember how you saw them everywhere?), 2018 will be about variations such as breakfast tacos and dessert tacos.
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