Chew on some of these new ideas.
During the pandemic, we saw comfort foods become the foods of choice. In 2025, the country’s emotions are being tested again. It’s reported that we are a weary and worried country and tasty edible escapes seem very attractive. The New York Times reports that Gen Z is wielding lots of influence over the rest of us, and we should all break rules and embrace innovation. Some of the food trends for 2025 seem to be doing just that.
According to the grocery store chain, Kroger’s, in their report on the top five food trend predictions for 2025, pickles and any other foods in brine like olives, capers, sauerkraut and kimchi will be trending. I’m reading about pickle margaritas!
I am hearing about protein all the time, and not only from my doctor, who wants me to eat a lot more of it. In addition, the growing number of Americans on the GLP-1 weight loss drugs are requiring more protein to maintain their muscle mass. Supermarkets have responded to this increased interest with new protein-packed products. Cottage cheese packs a whopping 25 grams of protein in one cup, way more protein than a cup of yogurt or sour cream. Cottage cheese will be used in ice creams, pasta sauces, on top of flatbread and in dips. The added protein will be highlighted on packages of foods like waffle mixes, cereals, and chips. New meat snacks will be created for a quick fix of protein.
Spicy and exotic peppers will be featured everywhere. Calabrian chiles, prik kee nu chile, guajillo peppers, ghost peppers, and hatch chiles will be used on pizzas, on chicken wings, and in pasta. Global flavors will expand our pepper selections and how we learn to mix the flavors.
Sweet and spicy (‘swicy’) flavors will still be popular, and expanded into infusing cocktails, lemonades and mocktails.
From https://sweetytreatyco.com
https://www.freezcake.com/
The technology behind freeze-drying food has improved, and freeze-dried candy and other sweet snacks will be popular. Freeze-drying removes any moisture from a food, concentrating its flavor and changing the consistency to a slightly chewy/crunchy one. Look for freeze-dried gummy bears and peach rings, and freeze-dried cheesecake bites.
On Amazon
Snacks will be important. New snacks with global flavors infusing popcorn, and other salty snacks will be created. Fusion foods are popular, and the packaging will tell the story of the flavors. Mango sticky rice is an example, or chili crunch oil with edamame and nut mix.
Sourdough, the go-to hobby of COVID, has only become more popular. For 2025, sourdough will be the base of choice for pizza crusts, flatbread, brownies, crackers, innovative sourdough breads, waffle, and pancake mixes, and more.
Sales of plant-based meats dropped between 2021 and 2023 because they are expensive – about 77% more expensive than the real meat foods they are replacing – according to the Food Network. Plant-based deli meats, on the other hand, are surging in popularity. These new plant-based deli meats have less processed proteins, no nitrates, preservatives or cholesterol, soy, or wheat. Learn about the new ‘meats’ that Prime Roots is selling.
Sauces are going to be big. Caesar salad dressing will be used as a sauce for pizza and pasta in addition to a wide variety of green vegetables. It will be combined with miso, tahini, and black garlic. Sauces will incorporate hoisin, salsa macha, umami, ranch with chimichurri or pickles, and the garlic whip called toum.
Both sold at Whole Foods
Designer fruits and vegetables are always fun to try. Last year it was the candy-flavored grape. This year it is Badger Flame beets (a sweet golden beet) and Driscoll’s Tropical Bliss Strawberries.
Get ready to experiment!
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