Predicting 5 Food Trends Coming in the New Year Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

5 Food Trends to Watch for in 2022

Experts predict what and how we ll eat in the new year Plus 4 unusual foods worth trying

Mark Ferri Whether you 're ventur ing out to restaurants or cho osing to continue to dine at home, are seeking familiar foods with a twist while paying attention to dietary and health needs, according to the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) 2022 Trendspotter Panel.​ The panel consists of chefs, food writers, educators, market forecasters, and retail and food service buyers, among other industry professionals, who look for commonalities between ingredients they found prevalent in their corners of the industry during the year. ​ Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “Often, we are spotlighting cuisines and ingredients that have been around for millennia and are integral to different cultures, but are beginning to gain more attention in the U.S.,” sa ys Denise Purcell, vice president of content and education for the SFA. “Or a well-known product category like pasta, for example, begins trending because of innovative ingredients or shifts in consumer habits.”​ Food trends often start in restaurants that utilize an unfamiliar ingredient in an interesting way. Then , as more people become curious about that ingredient, product s eventually begin to appear on store shelves, Purcell adds.​​This year, the panel ists identified five new food trends that they expect to take off in 2022, along with several familiar trends that they believe will continue to be popular. Here's a closer look at the panel's predictions of what you may be eating in the new year. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > For , there are pasta options made from unexpected ingredients — such as black rice, pumpkin, red lentils and purple carrots — that add color and make dishes look more vibrant. Many of these alternatives to traditional pasta made from wheat flour can also offer benefits such as providing extra protein, being gluten -free and relying on sustainably sourced ingredients.​​

2 Plant-based comfort food​​

The ever-growing presence of meat alternatives such as or on store shelves is undeniable. Expect it to grow into other food categories. ​​“The dominant trend this year, no doubt due to COVID, was comfort food. And we're seeing it combine with plant-based foods in some really interesting ways,” Deutsch says. “For example, very melty, unctuous cheeses coming on the market are just as satisfying in mac and cheese or a fondue as a dairy cheese.” ​​Breaded , fried appetizers are also joining the explosion of plant-based products . Look for foods such as chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks and fried shrimp made with everything from pea protein to seaweed. ​​ ​​ AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. more seriously. Instead of being limited to beauty supplies and pharmaceutical alternatives, many food s and beverages are incorporating so-called functional ingredients that claim to offer antiaging, immune -boosting and other health benefits. Examples of functional ingredients include turmeric, thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, and butterfly pea flower extract, which purportedly fights the effects of aging on skin and hair. ​​“We're seeing it in beverages , or we’re seeing it in dry cheese, loose cheese . We're seeing it in chocolate and we're seeing it in snacks,” Deutsch says. “So, you name it , and there's a functional ingredient included in it.”​

C urrent food trends that aren t going away in 2022​​

Minimizing waste: Consumers are continuing to support sustainable brands that utilize leftover food products that would otherwise go to waste — a trend known as upcycling. Upcycled products include ready-to-drink beverages made from avocado seeds and vegetable broth concentrates made from hard-to-sell produce and scraps.​​ Bars for nondrinkers: Nonalcoholic spirits are helping teetotalers imbibe along with everyone else. Home bars can be stocked with no - to low -alcohol wines and mixers , while vitamin- and botanical-infused recovery shots and beverages can be alternatives to classic bar drinks. ​​ Chocolate with a twist: Chocolate makers continue to appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth by creating confections in innovat ive shapes (hippos ) and with unusual flavor combinations (decaf coffee ).​ More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS