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A look at 2020 food trends

Food truck operators, just like restaurant operators, need to stay up to date on food trends coming into play.

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February 20, 2020 by Christine Potts — Senior Editor, WebstaurantStore

From year to year, new foods take center stage in the midst of ever-evolving foodservice trends. As a restaurant, cafe, or bar owner, it's important to stay ahead of the trends to keep your business profitable. Here are the food trends you can expect to see more of as we head into the new year.

Food transparency

2020 is going to be a big year for food transparency, from sourcing and ingredients to the overall wellness of those involved in production.

Climate consciousness

We expect continued growth in the demand for food transparency when it comes to the sourcing of ingredients. Customers not only want to know the ingredients in their food, but they also want to know where those ingredients came from. Crops and proteins that are cultivated using sustainable and organic practices continue to draw the eye of customers when listed next to menu selections.

Regenerative agriculture

Following the climate consciousness trend, customers are now calling for products that come from renewable resources. Customers are gravitating towards produce that is grown in regenerative agriculture systems, meaning that the farms are intentionally rotating crops, composting, and naturally treating the soil so that the soil quality improves over time. Regenerative agriculture also means that farmers are using sustainable grazing practices with their livestock to minimize their carbon footprint. Customers want to know that their food selections are having a reduced environmental impact in the long run.

Less meat

2019 was a big year for the introduction of alternative meat options, and we believe that this is just the beginning. The new year is expected to usher in even more vegan and plant-based alternatives.

Vegan options

With the surge of plant-based diets, the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat products have seen a huge spike in popularity and have been picked up by major food chains such as Burger King, Red Robin, Dunkin Donuts, and many others. This phenomenon is on par with the trend of customers looking for meatless protein options to protect the environment. It is important to note that if you are adding plant-based proteins to your menu, you should clearly indicate if your meal is strictly vegan or just meatless to avoid any confusion.

Meat-plant blends

In an effort to reduce meat intake, many food vendors are offering meat-plant blends for those who are not quite ready to give up meat entirely. This blended option appeared on the foodservice radar after the James Beard's Blended Burger Project. The chefs involved substituted out 25% of a burger patty with a plant option such as mushrooms, black beans, chickpeas, cauliflower, or quinoa. Meat companies are starting to see an increase in sales toward meat-plant blend options and expect to see a surge in 2020. It seems customers are willing to eat a burger even if there is less meat in it.
This trend is even reaching the poultry industry. Major meat providers like Tyson and Perdue are adding chicken and plant blends to their product lines, which include patties, sausages, meatballs, and nuggets. Expect to see more of these meat-plant blends in supermarkets in 2020.

Alternative food options

2020 will bring even more changes and options in the availability of food alternatives due to dietary choices and restrictions.

Phasing out of soy

For a long time, soy was the most relied upon food substitute available for vegetarian and vegan diets. This is no longer the case with more and more plant-based alternatives becoming available as we move into 2020. Mung beans, hemp seeds, and even golden chlorella are expected to replace soy as the year progresses.

Butters and spreads

Peanut butter is going to have stiff competition in 2020. With more customers choosing alternatives to peanut butter in an effort to avoid the major allergen, food companies are offering creative plant-based selections like pumpkin butter, watermelon seed butter, macadamia butter, and even chickpea butter. With environmental consciousness in mind, many customers are also avoiding seed and nut butters that use palm oil due to the fact that palm oil harvesting has caused severe deforestation and habitat destruction around the world.

New flours

The selection of flour options for gluten-free bakers will continue to expand as we head further into the new year. Some of the new alternatives that you can expect to see include banana flour, cauliflower flour, tigernut flour, and other seed flours. Along with new flours becoming more available, pre-made snacks and desserts made from these flour alternatives are expected to hit the shelves with a greater presence in 2020.

Sugar alternatives

Sugars are expected to follow a similar trend as flours, with more alternatives being available on the market come 2020. Customers are looking for more natural sources to sweeten up their desserts and glazes, and they are turning to fruits for it. Sugars derived from fruits like coconut, pomegranate, monk fruit, and dates will be accompanied by some more unique options, such as sweet potatoes and sorghum.

Foodie palates

Customers are not only searching for food alternatives and substitutes, but for new flavors, too. 2020 will be a year of bold food options and finely crafted cuisine.

West African cuisine
 
West African meals are packed with superfoods, making this cuisine a logical food trend for 2020. As customers look for foods that are good for their health, West African grains like fonio, millet, and teff have found their way into more and more recipes. West African dishes also use chili peppers, tomatoes, and onions, along with moringa and tamarind, to create meals that are both flavorful and good for your health. We are expecting to see an increase in the number of West African restaurants in big cities, along with fusion dishes.

Upgrading kids menus

As customers seek out healthier meals and plant-based options, they are bringing their children with them. Therefore, the demand has increased for similarly diverse kids menus that offer healthier, palate-expanding options. Instead of just seeing chicken nuggets and burgers on a kids menu, 2020 kids menus will feature organic chicken nuggets, pasta made from flour alternatives, Beyond Burgers, and non-breaded salmon fish sticks. Burger King has already lead the charge by adding a smaller version of its Impossible Burger to its kid's menu.

Refrigerated snacks

Processed snacks are out, fresh and refrigerated snacks are in. We expect 2020 to bring more single-serve refrigerated snacks, such as individually packed hard-boiled eggs, soups, veggies and dip, sliced fresh fruit, and pickled vegetables. Customers are looking for more nutritious options that they can eat on the go, even if they need to be refrigerated, which can help them to avoid processed pantry foods. This trend is expected to impact how convenience stores set up their grab-and-go sections.

Roasted and grilled fruits

Along with healthier snacking options, restaurants have noticed a shift in interest towards grilled and roasted fruits. Get ready to see not only grilled pineapple and peaches on the menu, but grilled watermelon and jackfruit as well. Jackfruit, with its pork-like consistency when cooked, has been working its way up to the top of the food trends list year after year, but we're expecting 2020 to be the year in which it receives nationwide recognition.

Churros

Churros aren't a new development, but they are expected to dominate 2020's dessert scene. These sweet treats are easy to fry up and will most likely be popping up in food trucks, concession stands, and even high-end restaurants throughout the year. The standard cinnamon sugar churro will be accompanied by a slew of new flavors including Oreo churros, red velvet churros, Fruity Pebbles churros, and more.

Help your business ring in the new year by refreshing your menu with what customers are looking for. Some of these new trends might seem overwhelming at first, but you can set your business up for success in 2020 by implementing just one or two early in the new decade and adjusting from there.

About Christine Potts

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Christine Potts is the senior editor of SEO content at WebstaurantStore. When she's not writing about foodservice equipment, she likes to work on her baking skills and teach her friends about the products she recognizes while eating at restaurants.

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