Every year offers opportunities for people to embrace new health fads and discover unique foods.
Whole Foods has capitalized on people’s interest discovering new foods and drinks by revealing each year its predictions for the top healthy trends to overtake the market for the following year.
The company revealed it predicts 2020 will include trends such as the rise in alcohol-free drinks and innovative nut spreads like watermelon seed butter.
‘Each year, more than 50 Whole Foods Market team members including local foragers, regional and global buyers and culinary experts thoughtfully compile the report based on decades of experience and expertise in product sourcing, studying consumer preferences and participating in food and wellness industry exhibitions worldwide,’ the report explained.
Last year the company anticipated the rise of hemp and CBD in food, more eco-friendly packaging from brands, and faux meat snacks.
These trends held up at Whole Foods, and now the company is anticipating a new crop of products to overtake the food market.
New: Whole Foods released its 2020 predictions for popular health food trends
Alcohol-free drinks
Whole Foods states it is seeing a rise in consumers seeking ‘unique non-alcoholic’ alternatives for their beverages, calling it ‘zero-proof drinks’.
Due to the trend, the store has stocked up on a number of alcohol-free beers, teas, and seltzers to appease customers.
‘Many of these beverages seek to re-create classic cocktail flavors using distilling methods typically reserved for alcohol, creating an alternative to liquor meant to be used with a mixer rather than a drink on its own,’ the company wrote.
This trend offers an alternative for people at events or parties who are seeking an alcohol-free alternative to any drink on the bar cart.
Drink up! The company is now predicting for a rise in alcohol-free beers, seltzers, and teas
Nut butter and unique spreads
Nut butter previously dominated the market with almonds and peanuts reigning as the top ingredients.
But now Whole Foods is anticipating growth in the market to more obscure nuts and seeds, including watermelon seed butter and pumpkin seed butter.
These spreads offer up more options for people who are keto and vegan so they can use the items on foods like crackers, vegetables, and toast.
Nutty trend: It also predicts for seed butters and spreads to push past the usual almond and peanut ingredients to instead include watermelon seeds and pumpkin seeds
Meat-plant blends
Plant-based foods that look like meat are huge due to the rise of companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
Although Whole Foods recognizes this trend, it also believe a blend of meat and plant ingredients in items is on the rise.
‘Butchers and meat brands won’t be left out of the “plant-based” craze in 2020, but they’re not going vegetarian,’ the company wrote.
Brands focused on meats are able to add their own mark in the plant-based trend by incorporating these ingredients into their own products to appease health-conscious consumers.
Innovative: Whole Foods stated its also seen a rise in meat products incorporating plant-based ingredients to appease growing trends
New way to snack: Another trend on the rise is getting snacks that need to be refrigerated, like bone broth (pictured) and granola bars
Refrigerated snacking
Consumers are becoming more aware and focused on the ingredients placed in their products before purchasing.
This has encouraged brands to alter their ingredients to provide ‘fresh’ options, even when it comes to snacking.
‘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,’ Whole Foods wrote.
The grocery store chain is suggesting that foods like bone broth will become much more popular for snacking, as well as granola bars that are made to be stored in the refrigerated section to keep all the ingredients in the bars free of processed ingredients.
Innovative lunch box ideas for kids
Kids are more and more adventurous when it comes to the foods they eat, a trend largely noticed by Whole Foods.
The company is seeing interesting choices made by children and their parents when it comes to packing their lunches for school.
Whole Foods stated options like salmon patties and salmon puree pouches might gain steam among children when choosing what they want in their lunch boxes.
Adventurous taste buds: Whole Foods also found that children’s lunch boxes have changed to incorporate a wide variety of foods, like salmon patties
Not-so-simple sugars
‘Sure, there’s sugar. But for those seeking sweetness outside of the usual suspects like sugar, stevia, honey and maple syrup, there’s lots more to choose from for your cooking, baking and tea- or coffee-stirring needs,’ the report explained.
Items like pomegranate molasses and sweet potato nectar could be a new healthy way for people to sweeten their baked goods and other foods next year without using the standard simple sugars.
Growing market: The final trend Whole Foods predicts is the rise of other simple sugar options for consumers, like pomegranate molasses and sweet potato nectar