What Whole Foods Expects The Top Food Trends To Be In 2023
This year has seen a plethora of innovative food trends that have changed our grocery shelves forever, including a few staple ingredients that got a bit of a makeover. According to Cozymeal, we saw a notable rise in climate-conscious foods, like vegan eggs and plant-based chicken. Pasta options expanded with healthier base ingredients, such as chickpea and legume pasta. We also saw all our favorite snacks turn into hot and spicy varieties. From ultra-hot mac and cheese to chips to chocolate, it seems nothing has been off limits for spicy additions.
However, Whole Foods Market is looking into 2023 with its latest top 10 food trends forecast, which the company released on October 19, 2022. This is the upscale grocery store's eighth trend prediction, and for 2023, the brand predicts new healthy renditions of your nostalgic childhood favorites, a date craze, an avocado oil explosion, a poultry revolution, and more headed our way.
What's new in 2023
Move over, kombucha. Number one on the 2023 trends list is yaupon. Yaupon, according to Whole Foods, "is a holly bush found in the Southern region of the U.S. and happens to be North America's only known native caffeinated plant." This new brew can be consumed in a variety of ways and is quickly becoming popular.
A date craze is also coming our way. Dates have been popular in their natural fruit form for centuries, however, crafting them into everything from syrups to ketchup to sriracha is new. They have a naturally sweet, caramel-like flavor, which makes them perfect for being a healthy sweetener in a variety of products.
Jumping down to number 5 on the list, Whole Foods predicts a "poultry revolution" in 2023. While this year we experimented with egg alternatives, we're going back to the real deal this coming year. However, according to Whole Foods, consumers are "prioritizing welfare" when buying their poultry products. As Americans choose to purchase their staple eggs, they're also choosing brands that are "better-than-cage-free."
We aren't too cool for school. Our childhood favorites, like pizza bites, mac and cheese, and certain cookies are going to soon be making a comeback. Everyone loves partaking in a little nostalgia, and indulging in adult-elevated snacks that have an old-school feel just might be the best way to do it. Those are just a few trends that stood out to us, but make sure to check out the rest of the list.