2020 Food Trends You Need To Know
As temperature drops and the new year nears, savvy social savants are busy setting trends. Besides fashion, initiating food movement is one of Californian’s favorite pastimes.
2020 is the year of perfect vision and purple-y and puffy food. So, what does next year’s food trends hold in store? According to celebrity and featured chef of the Emmy-nominated show, Recipe Rehab, Mareya Ibrahim suggests eight major health food crazes to look out for.
1) The Color Purple
You can thank Instagrammers for this trend. The opulence of the purple Ube, Okinawan sweet potato, and other varieties makes for a stunning picture. That regal color is just sheer magic when it comes to health. According to the National Institute of Health, these pretty sweet potatoes and yams are full of anthocyanins with potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity effects.
Available in dehydrated powder and whole veggie form, you'll soon see them show up in everything from smoothies to soft-serve, baked goods to mashed potatoes, chips to granola. Want to win over the millennials? Add Ube Sweet Potato Toast and Smoothie Bowls to your menu.
2) The Buzz is Manuka
Used in beauty products across categories and as a home remedy for thousands of years, the topical benefits of this ’nectar of the Gods' are vast. Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in honey, along with milk. As an edible, the bee-knitted sweetener is normally just relegated to that - sweetening. But all that is about to change.
Manuka is the ‘it' honey, harvested from the Manuka bush which grows primarily in New Zealand. While the jury is still out on whether it’s truly more beneficial than raw, unpasteurized honey, it is certainly a potent anti-inflammatory, praised for its anti-cancer properties.
Manuka’s luxury price tag and influencer fan base makes it an enticing addition to drinks, a sparingly-used replacement for syrup (warning: it’s thick) or taken by the spoonful as a food-based supplement (think juice bar add-on). A drizzle or drop may just make the difference in creating marketing buzz around your product.
3) Air-Fried Everything
“I’ll have it French, hold the fry.” Imagine how liberated people feel, now that they can have all the crunching without the guilt! A definite Insta-worthy trend, watch for it in food service as restaurants search for more healthy options without the grease splatter - including better-for-you donuts and chicken tenders. Along with air-fried everything, look for some creative side-dish options using different types of fruits and veggies, like sweet potato (see trend #8), taro, green beans, parsnips, chickpeas, and apple slices.
4) Give Peas a Chance
Just one of these mighty tiny greens got under the Princess’s skin… but peas are no longer the lowly subjects of the plate. Full of phytonutrients, protein, and Omega 3’s, this non-starchy veggie is taking over the plant-based world. The prevalence of peas as a plant-based protein will continue to lead the way as consumers demand cleaner, safer, non-GMO, and non-soy options that are also allergen-free.
According to Grand View Research, global pea protein sales were estimated around $73 million in 2016 and are forecasted to quadruple by 2025. You'll also find them in drinks, plant-burgers and meats, gravy options, and waffles. See them shine in whole form as a snack, as well as gracing the plates of neighborhood restaurants and 3 Michelin star establishments alike.
5) Puffed Up
Just add air. These puffs aren't your 80's variety cheese doodles coated in fluorescent dust. A quest for healthier, non-fried options paves the way for sophisticated snacks, cereals, and finger foods that use a variety of whole grains and are rich in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, and potassium..
Look for puffed foods made with gluten-free grains like millet, sorghum, rice, and quinoa in items like cereals, snacks, and large cracker-like bread substitutes for avocado toast. You’ll also see veggie-forward snacks as a way to get kids eating healthier, featuring kale, broccoli, and spinach, and loaded up with nutrient-dense add-ons like flax, chia, and hemp. These options are both fun and diverse in flavor profiles, featuring Indian, Spanish, Moroccan, and Mediterranean-inspired spices to please adult palates, too.
6) CBD
CBD lattes and Frappuccinos at Starbucks? Maybe not yet, but some independent cafes have already started serving up the hemp-spiked drinks and menu items. In 2020, be prepared for the full-blown CBD takeover in restaurants and spas, cafes, and grocery as well as convenience stores. While business is booming, CBD sales in the U.S. are projected to hit as high as $22 Billion by 2022, up from $262 Million in 2016 according to Brightfield Group. There’s still much confusion over dosing, state laws, and labeling. CBD is still wandering the wild west.
Soon, however, you’ll find CBD-infused products up and down the aisles, in everything from snacks to beverages, coffee to chocolate. Watch that scene unfold before your eyes in what’s considered one of the most exciting new food and beverage categories in decades.
7) Allergen-free
Paleo, organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free are all labels we’re now used to seeing on packages as brands get on board with those respective bandwagons. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, children have food allergies more often than adults and it costs the US over $25 billion annually. That’s not even including the devastating effects of hyper allergic reactions, which can be deadly. Moms, who make over 70% of the food-purchasing decisions, will be the ones pushing the needle even further.
The ‘trigger’ allergens are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Any product or menu item that excludes these categories can easily be labeled an ‘allergen-free’ safe haven. Some food trends that fit neatly in this category include oat milk, grain-free pasta, plant-proteins, sunflower butter, seeds (flax, chia, hemp), gluten-free grains (quinoa, sorghum, amaranth, etc), and veggie noodles.
8) The IT Antioxidant: Black Seed
Thank the tomb raiders for this discovery. Buried among the treasures of King Tut, Nigella Sativa, also referred to as Black Seed, Black Cumin, or Black Caraway, is the life-extending secret of the pharaohs. Nicknamed the ‘blessed’ seed in Arabic, science proves it to be quite the little miracle. Nigella Sativa is full of powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant thymoquinone and is also proven to help with around 100 other conditions based on real scientific data.
Sales of black seed oil increased 202.5 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to a 2018 report from American Botanical Council. Watch the whole seed show up in spice blends, snacks, baked goods, and other “seedy” places, while the oil finds its way into dressings, sauces, and soups.
As a word of caution, don’t fall for just any label claiming to be “plant-based”. Know the ingredients behind it. Every meat and dairy category is out to capitalize on what Chef Mareya Ibrahim is calling the “plant-based effect.” This means customers and superfans will need to get savvy about what they’re biting and sipping on every day.
About The Expert
Celebrity Chef Mareya Ibrahim is also known as The Fit Foodie, nutrition coach, author, patented inventor and award-winning entrepreneur. Her new book, “Eat Like You Give a Fork,” is a #1 New Release and is changing how people prioritize their wellness. She is also a signature chef to the NY Times million copy bestseller “The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life” and was a featured chef on 3 seasons of the Emmy-nominated show, Recipe Rehab.
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Yvon Lux is a tastemaker, influencer and editor for her Apple News channel.
Her “blogazine” Yvon Lux celebrates sisterhood and empowers women by focusing on women’s health, travel, food and entrepreneurial news while also sharing the most coveted fashion and beauty trends and stories.
The young female founder has been featured in Thrive Global, Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Modern Luxury Magazine, and various other media outlets. Connect with her on Instagram and subscribe to her Apple News channel!
