Food Trends For 2024
Whole Foods Market predicts 2024's food trends plus a beloved culinary kitty passes away
Whole Foods Market has just released its anticipated top ten food trends for 2024. What will you be eating, according to the grocery chain? Here are the ten:
Plant-Based Items with Fewer Chemicals. Think burgers and “meats” made from tempeh, mushrooms, and legumes; nut milk made with only two ingredients; and items actually made from plants instead of chemicals.
Cacao. Look for cacao fruit powders as a new sweetener, jellies made with cacao pulp, and more items.
Buckwheat. It’s more than pancakes and soba noodles. look for this superfood seed in plant-based milk, crackers, and granola.
Vegan Fish. Though this might sound like a classic George Carlin routine (jumbo shrimp, anyone?), vegans are getting in on the tinned fish craze by enjoying lox made from carrots, trumpet mushroom “scallops”, and seaweed caviar.
Envronmentally-Conscious Water. Waters made from fruit by-products, and household cleaners that are better for our waterways will be trending in the coming months.
Complex Heat. Look beyond your Tabasco bottle to find a world of hotness: Scorpion, Guajillo, and Hungarian Goathorn peppers are raising the temperature with consumers. The trend continues with spicy drinks, candies, and cocktails.
Noodles. Noodles will forever be in fashion, but now fancy instant ramen is the new go-to for the new year.
Little Luxuries. It’s called “Little Treat Culture” on social media — a tiny indulgence just enough for a pick-me-up. Think of tiny tarts, petit fours, a lovely tea, or even a bath bomb. With the economy tanking, a tiny treat might just be the last frontier of splurging.
Women’s Health. More and more women are taking care of their menopause health and more companies are catering to women with supplements, snacks, and energy bars focused on estrogen management.
A Better Boost. Need a little pick-me-up that doesn’t involve caffeine? Look for drinks and coffees with mushrooms, probiotics, and more.
The culinary world lost an iconic figure this week with the passing of Nacho Flay, Bobby Flay’s beloved cat. The chef posted the news on Instagram, saying,
“It is with an absolute broken heart that I report Nacho has passed away peacefully. I usually don’t post private family business but I truly believe he was everyone’s cat in some way. Nacho had a magic about him that was truly special. He came into my life when I needed him most and brought joyful moment after joyful moment to my household.”
The orange cat was just nine years old and, although the news shocked many of Flay’s fans, the chef had just introduced a new kitten named Canelo into his home two weeks before Nacho’s death.
The culinary world paid its respects to Nacho, with Alex Guarnaschelli, Andrew Zimmern, Dale Talde, and more joining the nearly 20,000 condolences posted on social media.