One day it’s dairy-free pea protein half & half from Ripple (actually amazing) and the next it’s cauliflower-infused crackers from From The Ground Up or no-sugar-added buckwheat cookies from Buckwhat. It’s hard to keep up with all the trendy new food products but one thing is clear: there’s a lot happening to give rice crackers and animal cookies a run for their money. To find out what food trends we can expect in 2019, we turned to the experts at FreshDirect and Whole Foods.
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This article originally appeared on TotalBeauty.com
17 Food Trends for 2019, According to the Buyers at Whole Foods and FreshDirect
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Bringing Fresh Into Shelf-Stable
"Shelf-stable products, which are traditionally highly processed, are continuing to evolve to be fresher and more direct to the source. This coming year will bring more innovative, fresh and sustainable takes on shelf-stable staples. Some shelf-stable foods are evolving to become so fresh that they need to be refrigerated. Perfect Bar and Haven's Kitchen's Red Pepper Romesco Sauce are prime examples of new takes on shelf-stable products that use fresh, natural ingredients in convenient and creative ways." — FreshDirect and FoodKick's in-house teams of food and wine experts.
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CBD-Infused Foods
"Cannabidiol (CBD) is an ingredient derived from the cannabis plant that is non-psychoactive but is said to offer relief from pain, anxiety and depression while having anti-inflammatory properties. In 2018, we saw CBD pop up in the form of tinctures and beauty products. In 2019, CBD will break into the food category in full force, driven by the help of risk-taking innovators. CBD oil-infused products will first surge in the drinks category, with CBD-infused drinks driving the functional-wellness drink category. CBD will also be prominently featured on more menus next year and as the star of new food products, such as salad dressings." — FreshDirect
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High-Quality Canned Fish
"Artisanal, high-quality canned fish has started popping up in restaurants as featured menu items across the nation. The convenience and quality are unmatched and the canned format allows for unique experimentation, fostering the ability for consumers to try rare and flavorful species from all over the world, regardless of season." — FreshDirect
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Oats
"Nut milk is out, while oat milk is storming in. Oat milk is more sustainable and not as water-intensive as other non-dairy milks, while also more abundant and inexpensive, which will help keep high-quality products at lower costs." — FreshDirect
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Premium Spice Packets
"Out are the days of subscriptions, kits and jars of spices. Soon we will see a surge in innovative takes on portion-controlled spice packets and simmer sauces. Customers will be able to have any cuisine — think Korean, Thai or Indian — all in one week cooking with one pan. These flavorful packets can spice up protein, noodles or veggies in a portion-controlled, convenient and simple way. Premium spice packets fit into the developing themes of portion control and one-time use, giving consumers more options with less commitment." — FreshDirect
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Organic 2.0
"In 2019, there will be more tech-enabled local organic offerings developed by vertical farming leaders, like AeroFarms, and many more bio-dynamic processes and growing methods. Although organic penetration has been growing year over year, customers have recently evolved to become more enthusiastic about products with positive environmental impact, regardless of whether they carry formal organic certification." — FreshDirect
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Cauliflower Power
"Customers are keen on incorporating more plants into their diets and cauliflower has taken a leading role in the plant-based space. Customers love the cauliflower craze as it's a lower carb vegetable that holds up like a grain and absorbs flavor easily. It can unnoticeably replace starches in many staples, including pizza crust, rice, crackers, pretzels and even tater tots. Keep an eye out for new developments by emerging brands like Caulipower, whose frozen pizza crusts are FoodKick's best seller in the category." — FreshDirect
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Evolution of Kid Snacks
"Kid snacks will shift in two ways: there will be more nutritional plays on traditional kids' favorites and adult staples will also become more kid-friendly. National players will continue to invest in developing cleaner, kid-friendly snacks and there will be a surge in new innovations like Peek-a-Boo's strawberry ice cream, which features hidden carrots." — FreshDirect
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Spreading Local
"Vertical farming and its controlled methods will enable new innovations like tropical items sourced locally, as well as out-of-season strains and varietals being grown locally. There will also be a resurgence of sourcing hyper-local fish species that were previously unpopular with consumers, like ocean perch, tilefish, porgy and blackfish." — FreshDirect
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Better-for-You Beverages
"Consumers are starting to lean into better-for-you beverages, especially in the alcohol category. New trends will include natural wines, a surge in ciders (all are naturally gluten-free), more penetration in beverages with lower alcohol volume such as ciders and session IPAs, non-alcoholic spirits like Seedlip and digestive well-enhancement alcoholic beverages such as Kombrewcha." — FreshDirect
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Pacific Rim Flavors
"Flavor inspiration from the Pacific Rim (think Asia, Oceania and the western coasts of North and South America) are popping up in grocery stores and restaurants as people continue to explore more of the world through their palates. Ingredients like longganisa (a Filipino pork sausage), dried shrimp, cuttlefish and shrimp paste are on restaurant and home menus that span from breakfast to dinner, while vibrant tropical fruits such as guava, dragon fruit and passionfruit are making their way into colorful smoothie bowls and cocktails." — Whole Foods Market's global buyers and experts
Image: Whole Foods
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Shelf-Stable Probiotics
"New strains of probiotics such as Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 and Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 are making more shelf-stable applications possible. Wellness-focused brands are making it easier to get more probiotics in your day by adding functional probiotic ingredients to your pantry staples through products like granola, oatmeal, nut butters, soups and nutrition bars. Some standouts include Effi Probiotic Chickpea Granola." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
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Faux Meat Snacks
"Mushrooms, like king trumpet, will play a key role here, flexing their flavor and texture powers in tasty jerky, 'pork' rinds and 'bacon' snacks to offer up a satisfying crunch. To try the trend, check out Snacklins Cracklins Without The Pork, Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. and Pig Øut Chipotle Pigless Bacon Chips." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
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Eco-Conscious Packaging
"Dozens of like-minded brands in the OSC2 Compostable Packaging Collaborative have pooled their efforts to make important advances in flexible product pouches. Some companies are making commitments to ban straws, while brands like Whole Foods Market are setting up regional pilots to test recyclable straw-less sipper lids made from PET, without increasing the plastic content of a lid/straw combination. Expect to see an emphasis on reusing, with more produce departments going BYOVB (bring your own vegetable bag) and traditionally single-use packages going multi-use, like multi-use (and compostable!) food wraps made from beeswax, as well as waxed canvas or silicone alternatives to the usual plastic storage bags that can be used for sandwiches and snacks." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
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Trailblazing Frozen Treats
"While there is something comforting and classic about a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some consumers are wanting something a little less, well, vanilla. The new pints on the block are adding a fresh take on a timeless treat with innovative bases like avocado, hummus, tahini and coconut water. Globally-inspired frozen desserts are also taking the stage — possibly sparked by 2018's mochi ice cream obsession and a Thai rolled ice cream craze — with icy indulgences like airy Taiwanese snow ice and Mexican nieves de garrafa, not to mention stretchy, chewy, Turkish ice creams that get their unique texture from mastic and other unique sources. Popsicles and gelatos won't be left out of the fun — they'll get some buzz with boozier infusions coming to market. Try the trend with these picks: Cado Avocado Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts, Jeni's Sorbet Frosé and Dolcezza Mascarpone and Berries Gelato." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
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Marine Munchies, Beyond Seaweed
"Think beyond seaweed snacks. Sea greens are showing up in dishes like seaweed butter and kelp noodles while consumers are exploring new depths of ocean flavors with superfood properties like unique varietals of algae and kelp. Puffed snacks made from water lily seeds, plant-based tuna alternatives with algae ingredients, crispy snackable salmon skins with omega-3s and kelp jerkies are just a few testing the waters." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
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Purchases that Empower
"Thoughtful consideration behind purchases moves beyond (but doesn't exclude) environmental stewardship and animal welfare and becomes more people-focused. For example, Kuli Kuli produces moringa powder which is often grown and processed by women and has provided more than $1.5 million in income to women-led farming cooperatives, nonprofits and family farmers around the world through their organic moringa supply chain. Whole Planet Foundation partners with suppliers such as Chobani, Frontier Co-op, Naked Juice, Wallaby Organic, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings and more to alleviate poverty through microcredit loans for the world's poorest people — mostly women — who become empowered microentrepreneurs lifting themselves and their families out of poverty." — Whole Foods Market
Image: Whole Foods
