Acai bowls, Sriracha anything, elevated toast and boozy ice cream, there’s a new food trend popping up every year. Some stick throughout the year (think cauliflower rice and the Instant Pot) but some (thankfully) slowly fade away. We found 18 food trends for 2018 and want to know your thoughts. What do you think about these food trends? Any going to stick? Something you’re excited to try? Share in the comments area below.
1. Chicken
Chicken, chicken, chicken… chicken is going to be everywhere. From picking up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket to roasted chicken on the menu at restaurants, chefs have embraced this affordable meat. In fact, it’s currently a 43 billion dollar market and expected to grow another 30 billion dollars by 2022. Maybe it’s because Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle while making one at home or that it’s cost-effective? Regardless, you’ll be seeing a lot more chicken recipes in 2018.
2. Air Frying Everything
If you don’t know what an air fryer is, it’s an appliance that circulates hot air around food. It crisps the food using minimal oil which gives the satisfaction of fried foods with a healthier result. Right now, they are all the rage. From cauliflower to french fries, air fryer recipes are popping up more and more.
3. Superfoods In Morning Coffee
Superfoods are foods that are especially rich in nutrients. Some superfoods are sweet potatoes, avocados, blueberries, and salmon. In 2018, they anticipate people will be adding superfood seeds and spices to their morning coffee. Those include spices like cinnamon and turmeric. Plus, seeds like flax and chia.
4. Ghee Substituted for Butter
Ghee is similar to clarified butter. To make ghee, butter is heated and, once melted, the milk solids are skimmed away leaving behind a lactose-free, healthy fat. If you’ve tried the Whole 30 diet or live a paleo lifestyle, you’re familiar with ghee. Ghee is a great substitute for traditional butter if you have a lactose intolerance. Since the milk solids are removed, it’s an option for sauteing or frying because it has a high smoke point and gives foods a nutty flavor.
5. Vegetable Carb Substitutes
With cutting carbs still popular, substituting vegetables for pasta and rice will continue to gain momentum. Spiralizing vegetables will continue with people using butternut squash, zucchini, and sweet potatoes as a substitute for pasta. To avoid traditional rice, people will be ricing cauliflower and sweet potato. In fact, Birds Eye has started packaging frozen riced cauliflower making this trend super convenient.
6. Ethnic Spices from Africa
Your spice cabinet is going to take a trip to Africa in 2018. According to McCormick, spices from Africa, like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and red pepper, are going to be extremely popular in cuisine.
7. Donuts with Unusual Fillings
Say goodbye to Bavarian cream or jelly filled doughnuts. For 2018, doughnuts are going to be stuffed with fillings like lemon-ginger, Earl Grey, chocolate-orange, salted caramel and reduced balsamic vinegar, and espresso cardamom.
8. Floral Flavors
In 2018, we’re not only going to be enjoying flowers in our gardens. Flowers are going to be incorporated into our food too. Think lavender lattes, rose infused drinks and desserts, and elderflower cocktails.
9. Bubbly Beverage Not Soda
LaCroix has been the “it” drink for a year now and it will continue to grow in popularity. Not to be confused with soda, these bubbly waters provide the sensation of drinking a soda but don’t have the added sugar and additives. With natural flavorings added, they’re more flavorful than ordinary water. Pellegrino, Izze, Perrier, Spindrift are popular brands.
10. Thai Rolled Ice Cream
Thai rolled ice cream originated in Thailand and has been in the United States for a few years now, but the popularity is on the rise. Thai rolled ice cream (also known as stir-fried ice cream) is made by pouring liquid ice cream onto cold slate or metal surface. Then, it’s mixed around (and toppings are added) and scraped into rolls about the size of a roll of quarters. The rolls are placed into a cup for serving. It’s fun to watch being prepared and eat. Initially only found in large cities like Los Angeles and New York, in 2018 it’s expanding to other parts of the country (like Nashville).
11. Breakfast Items with an Ethnic Twist
For 2018, if you’re looking at the breakfast menu at a restaurant you’ll see traditional items like scrambled eggs and pancakes. But, you’ll also probably seen twists on those dishes like coconut milk pancakes, chorizo eggs, and Greek-style frittatas.
12. Homemade Condiments
Since people are taking a closer look at ingredients, making homemade condiments, like mayo, ketchup and barbecue sauce, is going to become more and more popular.
13. More Maple Flavor in Foods
With a high antioxidant value and rich in vitamin B2 (that helps promote a healthy metabolism), we’ll be seeing more foods with maple syrup. As a natural sweetener, it’s a fantastic substitute for white sugar when baking treats.
14. Plant Proteins Over Meat in Everyday Cooking
People are going to be looking for ways to bump up the protein in their diets. While chicken is a great way, plant-based proteins are going to become a tasty alternative. Proteins like black beans, lentils, quinoa and seitan will become a popular meat alternative.
15. Chips Will Be Getting a Healthy Makeover
We won’t be grabbing for potato chips in 2018. Instead, we’ll be trying crispy snap peas, chickpea puffs, and seaweed snacks. Plus chips like apple, banana, coconut, and plantain.
16. Incorporating Ancient Grains into Diet
Including ancient grains into diets, has been trendy for the past few years and it will continue to gain momentum in 2018. Ancient grains are nutrient-packed grains that date back to the Neolithic Revolution. Rich in antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, and protein, they are marketed as being healthier than modern grains. Ancient grains include spelt, barley, oats, millet, einkorn, farro, chia, and quinoa.
17. Food Transparency
According to Mintel (a market intelligence agency), transparency with food packaging is going to be much more popular in 2018. People are asking that their favorite products be labeled properly and companies are listening. We’ll be seeing things like Fair Trade, Animal Welfare Rated and Non-GMO on more and more packaging in 2018.
18. Super Powders like Collagen and Matcha
Since they’re so easy to incorporate, people have begun to incorporate Collagen Peptides and matcha powder into their morning coffee and smoothies, as well as into baked goods. Matcha is powdered green tea that’s filled with antioxidants. It’s also supposed to help weight loss and help maintain a proper pH balance in the body. Collagen Peptides are supposed to help enhance hair and nails, improve digestion and help improve joint health. Both blend well into a hot or cold drink and provide an extra healthy boost.