FOOD 2020:
What to look for this year as the future of food unfolds.
Looking ahead...
Whole Foods Market: Top 10 Food Trends for 2020
What’s the next big food trend in 2020? We asked our panel of trend-forecasters to make their predictions. These culinary experts, buyers and foragers in our global offices and across our 490 stores have decades of experience and expertise in product sourcing, consumer preferences and more. When they talk, we listen.
While our top food trends for 2019 show no sign of slowing down, there’s a new crop of flavors and products you’ll soon be seeing on grocery stores shelves (ours included). Here's what to watch out for in 2020.
1: Regenerative Agriculture
Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. While the term “regenerative agriculture” can have many definitions, in general it describes farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change. You can help by seeking out brands that support regenerative practices.
2: Flour Power: As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an array of interesting flours are entering the market making baking more inclusive and adventurous
3. Foods from West Africa: From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy dishes, traditional West African flavors are popping up everywhere in food and in beverage. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chili peppers form a base for many West African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and lemongrass are all common additions.
4. Out-of-the-Box, Into-the-Fridge Snacking: Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options are more than keeping up. The keyword is “fresh” in this new generation of grabbing and going—gone are the days when the only options were granola bars and mini pretzel bags.
5. Plant-Based, Beyond Soy: Tofu scrambles may always have a place at the vegan breakfast table, but in 2020 the trendiest brands are slowing down on soy, which has traditionally dominated the plant-based protein space.
Go to Whole Foods Market: Top 10 Food Trends for 2020 to see the rest of the list.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MORE NEWS: FOOD TRENDS FOR 2020
As a new year and new decade offer opportunities to take stock of where we’ve come and to anticipate the changes ahead, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is forecasting five broad trends for food and nutrition in 2020.
“Each year, our team of registered dietitians, nutrition experts and consumer researchers takes a look at what we can expect in the coming year,” said Joseph Clayton, president and CEO. “In 2020, we predict that topics surrounding sustainability, alternative foods and healthy diets will move in some unexpected directions.”
Sustainability: From Buzzword to Specifics
Interest in sustainability has grown for the past few years, and while in 2020 the topic will mature and evolve, confusion still surrounds the exact definition of sustainability.
For several years, the IFIC Foundation’s annual Food and Health Survey asked whether sustainability was a factor in consumers’ food and beverage purchasing decisions. Between 2012 and 2018, that number ranged between 35% and 41% of consumers.
However, when the 2019 Survey asked whether “environmental sustainability” was a factor in purchase choices, that number dropped to 27%, indicating that consumers’ notions of sustainability extend beyond just the environment. When it comes to environmental sustainability, consumers are eager to know and do more.
According to the 2019 Food and Health Survey, 63% said it is hard to know whether the food choices they make are environmentally sustainable. Among that group, nearly two-thirds (63%) say environmental sustainability would have a greater influence on their choices if it were easier to know.
Consumers also consider factors such as the labeling of various product ingredients and attributes, along with production methods and food packaging, to be under the sustainability umbrella. We can also expect concepts like soil health and regenerative agriculture—“giving back to the land” rather than just conserving resources—to gain traction in 2020.
In 2020, we can expect consumers to consider new ideas about how and why we eat. Fad diets and get-thin-quick regimens will continue to lose popularity, supplanted by more holistic and sustainable concepts like intuitive eating, which rejects many of the tenets of fad diets like “good foods” and “bad foods.” The “un-diet” will focus less on food restrictions and more on natural cues our body gives us, like when we are full, and on healthier relationships with food overall.
Millennial consumers increasingly consider health as more than just a number on a scale. The 2019 Food and Health Survey found that 49% of those age 18-34 are familiar with mindful and intuitive eating, while only 27% of consumers over 50 have heard of the terms.
Let’s face it: Balance and moderation aren’t fads, and they aren’t going away any time soon.
~ Source: International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation
Whole Foods Market: Top 10 Food Trends for 2020
What’s the next big food trend in 2020? We asked our panel of trend-forecasters to make their predictions. These culinary experts, buyers and foragers in our global offices and across our 490 stores have decades of experience and expertise in product sourcing, consumer preferences and more. When they talk, we listen.
While our top food trends for 2019 show no sign of slowing down, there’s a new crop of flavors and products you’ll soon be seeing on grocery stores shelves (ours included). Here's what to watch out for in 2020.
1: Regenerative Agriculture
Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. While the term “regenerative agriculture” can have many definitions, in general it describes farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change. You can help by seeking out brands that support regenerative practices.
2: Flour Power: As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an array of interesting flours are entering the market making baking more inclusive and adventurous
3. Foods from West Africa: From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy dishes, traditional West African flavors are popping up everywhere in food and in beverage. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chili peppers form a base for many West African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and lemongrass are all common additions.
4. Out-of-the-Box, Into-the-Fridge Snacking: Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options are more than keeping up. The keyword is “fresh” in this new generation of grabbing and going—gone are the days when the only options were granola bars and mini pretzel bags.
5. Plant-Based, Beyond Soy: Tofu scrambles may always have a place at the vegan breakfast table, but in 2020 the trendiest brands are slowing down on soy, which has traditionally dominated the plant-based protein space.
Go to Whole Foods Market: Top 10 Food Trends for 2020 to see the rest of the list.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MORE NEWS: FOOD TRENDS FOR 2020
As a new year and new decade offer opportunities to take stock of where we’ve come and to anticipate the changes ahead, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is forecasting five broad trends for food and nutrition in 2020.
“Each year, our team of registered dietitians, nutrition experts and consumer researchers takes a look at what we can expect in the coming year,” said Joseph Clayton, president and CEO. “In 2020, we predict that topics surrounding sustainability, alternative foods and healthy diets will move in some unexpected directions.”
Sustainability: From Buzzword to Specifics
Interest in sustainability has grown for the past few years, and while in 2020 the topic will mature and evolve, confusion still surrounds the exact definition of sustainability.
For several years, the IFIC Foundation’s annual Food and Health Survey asked whether sustainability was a factor in consumers’ food and beverage purchasing decisions. Between 2012 and 2018, that number ranged between 35% and 41% of consumers.
However, when the 2019 Survey asked whether “environmental sustainability” was a factor in purchase choices, that number dropped to 27%, indicating that consumers’ notions of sustainability extend beyond just the environment. When it comes to environmental sustainability, consumers are eager to know and do more.
According to the 2019 Food and Health Survey, 63% said it is hard to know whether the food choices they make are environmentally sustainable. Among that group, nearly two-thirds (63%) say environmental sustainability would have a greater influence on their choices if it were easier to know.
Consumers also consider factors such as the labeling of various product ingredients and attributes, along with production methods and food packaging, to be under the sustainability umbrella. We can also expect concepts like soil health and regenerative agriculture—“giving back to the land” rather than just conserving resources—to gain traction in 2020.
In 2020, we can expect consumers to consider new ideas about how and why we eat. Fad diets and get-thin-quick regimens will continue to lose popularity, supplanted by more holistic and sustainable concepts like intuitive eating, which rejects many of the tenets of fad diets like “good foods” and “bad foods.” The “un-diet” will focus less on food restrictions and more on natural cues our body gives us, like when we are full, and on healthier relationships with food overall.
Millennial consumers increasingly consider health as more than just a number on a scale. The 2019 Food and Health Survey found that 49% of those age 18-34 are familiar with mindful and intuitive eating, while only 27% of consumers over 50 have heard of the terms.
Let’s face it: Balance and moderation aren’t fads, and they aren’t going away any time soon.
~ Source: International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation