Updated December 19, 2018 15.3K votes 1.7K voters 31.1K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the trends you're most excited to dig into.
As a new year approaches, one of the biggest questions is what we’ll all be eating (and Instagramming) in 2018. Thanks to food analysts and specialists, we already know some of 2018's hottest food trends.
Of course, not everyone likes to jump on the food trends bandwagon. Eating insects is an example of a trend that just might not be for you even if it is allegedly good for the environment. There have also been some weird diet trends that have come and gone throughout the years, some of which weren’t actually healthy at all. While health seems to be a major concern in 2018, there's also a keen interest in presentation, design, and customizing brand experiences to you as a consumer. You can expect to see a shift toward plant-based products and sustainability being a major interest in 2018, but luckily those comfort foods still make the cut, too!
Below are 20 of 2018’s coming food trends. Which trends were you the most down to try in 2018, and what food trends from 2019 tingle your taste buds?
Casual dining has been on the rise for quite some time. With millennials dining out more casually and more often, casual dining provides a place where they can experience dining out at an affordable price. Expect more places where you order at the counter, take a number, and have your food brought to you. You can also expect fast food places to step it up in order to compete with casual dining restaurants. Some Chipotles already serve beer and you can expect to see their trend continue. Happy hour at McDonald's by 2019...?
The public's trust in big companies and government agencies is low now that books, documentaries, social media bloggers, and other information has become available on what that shrimp cocktail is really sourced. As a result, many consumers are calling for complete transparency as to where their food comes from, what exactly their food is, and what went into harvesting/creating the food products. That said, you can expect companies, restaurants, and supermarkets to be more forthcoming with where their food comes from. In fact, locally grown products and farm-to-table will continue to be a huge selling point.
Inventive plant-based items are here to stay. Whether for health, ethical, or environmental reason, more and more people are turning towards a vegetarian lifestyle. In order to accommodate these customers, even non-vegetarian restaurants will be serving delicious, inventive veg or vegan foods that will make you forget all about meat.
We may not all eat sheet cake like Tina Fey on SNL, but she made a point. In times of political uncertainty, many people turn toward comfort foods. So yes, comfort food will be a huge trend in 2018. Of course, you can also expect to see "healthy" versions of comfort food.
The "self-care" trend is here to stay and it's taking on the food industry. We'll continue to see even more expensive, healthy "superfood" items. With customers convincing themselves they deserve it or that it's part of their self-care routine, companies will continue to charge premium money for those acai bowls.
Slow dough is already being used in restaurants in Brooklyn and San Francisco. This ancient Romany-style dough, called "pinsa," is a wheat flour blended through long fermentation periods. This dough is crispier, makes you fuller faster, and is easier to digest because of the fermentation. Long story short, we're looking at healthier pizza in 2018. Amoré!
