Here are a few of the craziest food trends we've fallen for recently. But what's catching on next?
Every year we see a wave of food trends come and go. It doesn’t seem so long ago that we were all lining up to buy specialty cupcakes. Then we were juicing every meal. Soon after bacon had its heyday, giving us the unexpected rise of bacon ice cream and bacon flavored vodka.
More recently we’ve spent a bit of time indulging in everything that could be made from coconut and everything that could be infused with matcha. We ate burgers the size of our heads and sprinkled chia seeds on every snack. And businesses were quick to pick up on all these trends!
According to the most recent Food Trend Report by Google, the biggest trend in 2016 is health! With longer life expectancy than previous generations and more information at our fingertips, we have become significantly more health conscious and food smart than our predecessors. Google reports that functional foods were the most prominent search this year, as we tried to figure out how to use all the ingredients that look after our insides. Turmeric, kefir, avocado oil and apple cider vinegar were among the top searches.
All the major food trend predictions for 2016 point towards health. We have been focusing on avoiding sugar, following plant-based diets, and incorporating fermented foods, ancient grains, new cuts of meat and good dairy into our meals. We’ve also become mindful of eating foods that are locally sourced, non-GMO and minimally processed.
This is a trend that our bodies will thank us for, and the food industry has been quick to catch on. We have witnessed a growing healthification of fast food, a move towards consumption of morally conscious foods, and a focus on sustainability and the reduction of food waste.
But while health may be the fast growing trend this year, that doesn’t stop us from slipping every now and then. That’s what cheat days are for, after all! Notably though, not all food fads are of the indulgent kind and we have also embraced some trends that are kind to our insides.
We had a look at some of the craziest food trends we’ve fallen for recently. Check them out below.
When nutritionists told us about ‘eating the rainbow’ we’re not sure that multi-color bagels and grilled cheese toasties were what they had in mind. But the aesthetic appeal of these foods has made them incredibly popular in every venue that sells them.
Places to check out: The Bagel Store. Kala Toast. Grill My Cheese.
Lattes succumbed to the rainbow trend too, and not just in the food dye way. Cafes experimented with matcha, turmeric and beetroot lattes for their health benefits. Even Smurf lattes, made with blue algae, were a thing!
Places to check out: Matcha Mylk Bar. Modern Baker. Maurice Coffee & Knits. Palm Vaults. Ruby Lane.
So on the one hand we decided to be healthier this year... and on the other, we really embraced these aptly named desserts! With so many possibilities for ingredients and toppings, different venues made all kinds of variations.
Places to check out: XS Espresso. Sugar Buns Bakery Cafe. Naughty Boy.
We couldn’t contain our competitive side and were rushing out to burger joints to try all sorts of outrageous customizations.
Places to check out: Anywhere that sells burgers. The rest is up to you!
Blended up greens and acai bowls (alongside chia pudding, granola and cacao nibs for toppings; spirulina, chlorella, lucuma and maca powders for mixing – we learned a lot of new words this year) became staple foods in our attempts to eat clean. There has been a rise in cafes and restaurants that specialize in healthy foods to coincide with the wellness trend we are all getting behind.
Places to check out: Green Cup. Serotonin Eatery. Combi. Bare Naked Bowls. Ohana Acai Bar.
We figured out we didn’t have to sacrifice desserts to be healthy. We tried raw vegan versions of all our usual favorites instead! Cheesecake, chocolate, pie, caramel slice – still indulgent, but without the bad stuff!
Places to check out: Raw Trader. Pana Chocolate. Nama.
But we didn’t give up traditional desserts entirely. Cakes had a resurgence with a contemporary touch of excess and impeccable design. Drip cakes were the big hit. And our standard for what makes a good doughnut skyrocketed. We were eating artisanal chai infused, rose petal garnished, vegan and gluten free doughnuts like the chain giants never existed.
Places to check out: Short Stop. Dough. The Caker. Cakes By Cliff.
Apart from how crazy good it is, there is nothing crazy about avocado – but how hard we fell for it was. Smashed avocado is still everyone’s favorite brunch order and you’d be hard pressed to find a cafe that doesn’t have it on the menu. But we’ve also been coming up with creative new ways to uphold our avocado obsession. Avocado baked eggs, roses, smoothies, even using avocado as the ‘bun’ for the rest of your food! Oh and there are nearly 1000 tagged photos for ‘avocado tattoo’ on Instagram – avocado really is forever.
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