Top 10 Food Trends and Innovations
List Compiled by: Joey Rost, CDM, CFPP
1. QR Codes: In today’s world, more organizations are using QR (quick response) codes as a way of doing business. By using the camera on your smart phone to scan a black and white QR code, you can pull up a food menu, access nutrition information, apply for a job, or retrieve other information.
2. Digital Apps: Everyone’s time is precious these days, so many people use an app on their phone to order their morning coffee. This way it is paid for, and you avoid long lines and start your day on a good note. This is just one example of how a digital app can offer convenience to the user.
3. Online Ordering: If your organization offers retail, have a webpage so customers can shop and then pick up the retail items at their convenience. You’ve seen online ordering work in big box stores, but it can also work for smaller retailers.
4. Pasta Alternatives: Noodles made from squash, zucchini, and other produce are great pasta alternatives. Sometimes called “zoodles,” the veggies are spiralized to resemble traditional noodles. Also, lentils, rice, and chickpeas make gluten-free pastas.
5. Authenticity Over Shortcuts: Due to recent food shortages and rising prices, many kitchens are going back to more old school, authentic regional recipes. They are doing this by eliminating the shortcuts or precooked food products. Although going “old school” is the trend, organizations need to consider whether their diminished labor pool can support these methods.
6. Regional Pizzas: From Chicago deep dish to New York-style pizza, these regional pizzas are delicious. Stay tuned for more varieties to show up in restaurants and stores. Another trend among pizzas is a healthier cauliflower crust, which offers fewer calories and is gluten-free.
7. Butter Board: Everyone is always looking for that next best thing -- well it’s time to create your very own butter board. Better than sliced bread, a butter board consists of butter on a board with your toppings of choice (such as spices, thinly-sliced onions, peppers, etc.) and then finished off with bread or crackers.
8. Charcuterie Cups: Charcuterie boards have been huge the past few years, and now we have to take that to the next level with charcuterie cups. Fill an attractive to-go cup with your favorite meats, cheeses, olives, fruits, and nuts. It’s portable and healthy snacking!
9. Dining In: Even with the huge boom in delivery and takeout during the pandemic, many customers still prefer the experience of dining in a restaurant. Look for more in-person dining as we get farther away from the pandemic.
10. Plant-Based Products: From Beyond Meat to the Impossible Whopper, stay tuned for a whole new horizon of plant-based products coming out.
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