8 Food Trends To Look Out for in 2024

2024 Food Trends

Every year, food industry experts compile their predictions of food trends to expect in the upcoming year. There is a varying level of success with these predictions—sometimes they’re spot on and sometimes they’re nowhere close—but they always reveal quite a lot of insights about what’s going on in the food world, and how it could very possibly play out in the year to come.

After taking notes all of 2023 and scouring many of the 2024 food trend prediction lists from companies like Datassential and Mintel, we curated our own list of the food trends we expect to see (or continue to see) a lot of in 2024. Health seems to be a growing focus among many Americans, and that is evident in many of these trends. There are also some pantry staples with a twist, classic dishes remixed, and plenty of snacks to look forward to.

What do you think of these predictions? Are you excited? Maybe we’ll circle back at the end of 2024 to see how many of these came true.

Related: 18 New Cookbooks We Can't Wait to Cook From in 2024

8 Top Food Trends for 2024

1. Zero Booze (and Barely Boozy) Beverages

These days, more and more people are leaning into an alcohol-free lifestyle, or moderating their alcohol consumption, for many reasons and also for a multitude of health benefits. We see no signs of this slowing down in 2024, as new options for both zero-alcohol and low-ABV beverages continue to bubble up. There are more restaurants and bars featuring cocktails with non-alcoholic spirits on their menus than ever before. Gone are the days when your only non-alcoholic drink options were juice, soda or a virgin pi?a colada. The best thing about the growing popularity of non-alcoholic drinks is that they allow for everyone to join in on the fun, which is something we can definitely get behind.

Related: 17 Great Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

2. Buckwheat, Baby

You should expect to see buckwheat everywhere this coming year. Buckwheat isn't a new crop by any stretch of the imagination, but it's become increasingly popular in the United States. While it’s often thought of as a grain, buckwheat is actually a plant with edible seeds, like quinoa. It has proven to be a top-notch cover crop, which promotes soil health. As if there weren’t already enough great things to say about buckwheat, it’s also a gluten-free superfood packed with protein. Buckwheat can be ground down into a flour used in everything from pancakes to soba noodles.

Related: Triple-Chocolate Buckwheat Bowls

3. Ranch Reigns Supreme

You’re probably wondering if there has ever been a time when ranch wasn’t popular. While ranch dressing has been a household staple for decades, as well as popular snacks like Cool Ranch Doritos, it seems like all things ranch-related are set to rev up in 2024. In the Datassentials 2024 trend report they predict a boom in spicy ranch in particular, which is something they were tuned into even before the ranch dressing on Taylor Swift's snack plate (aka "seemingly ranch") went viral. In 2024, we predict we’ll see less traditional ranch dressings in lieu of new ranch flavors, like spicy ranch and Chick-fil-A’s avocado lime ranch dressing. We also expect to see more ranch recipes pop up. And who knows, maybe Taylor and/or Travis might do a Hidden Valley collab!

Related: Heinz Makes Limited-Edition "Seemingly Ranch"

4. Anything Can Be a Caesar Salad If You Just Believe

Another Datassentials prediction for 2024 is that Caesar salads sans romaine lettuce will be all the rage. In particular, kale and asparagus seem to be rising in popularity when it comes to alternative Caesar salad bases. The menu at Agi’s Counter, a small Jewish- and Eastern European-inspired restaurant in Brooklyn, features a fantastic radicchio-based Caesar, so we're personally in favor of this trend. We can’t wait to see what new takes on the classic salad pop up in 2024. From chicken caesar salads to vegan caesar salads, there are endless variations to play around with.

5. The Tamarind Takeover is Here

McCormick & Company, the household name in spices, has been releasing its prediction for Flavor of the Year since 2000, and they recently crowned tamarind the flavor to look out for in 2024. Tamarind, a pod fruit with seeds covered in a tart, tangy pulp, is already very popular in other parts of the world, including South Asia, different parts of Africa and throughout Latin America, but has been slow to catch on here in the U.S. But according to McCormick, the tides are changing and the tamarind takeover is upon us. Tamarind is incredibly versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. McCormick’s believes that acidity and sour flavors will remain popular in 2024, and tamarind definitely fits in that category.

6. We're Still Not Bored with Snack Boards

Once upon a time, a decked-out charcuterie board composed of assorted cheeses, cured meats, and crackers was the pinnacle of snack boards. Well, that was then and this is now, and snack boards have evolved lightyears since then. We’ve seen movie night snack boards, brunch boards, butter boards, and, most recently, latke boards. Don't feel like making your own? The company Boarderie delivers customized charcuterie boards nationwide.

7. GenX Gets a Little Love

Despite the fact that we live in an incredibly youth-obsessed society, American demographics are shifting, with 1 in 5 Americans set to be over the age of 65 in 2030. Although GenXers haven't quite hit the 65 mark, they are in their early 40s to late 50s. According to both Mintel and Datassential, Gen X is a generation willing to indulge when it comes to spending on food and drink, making them an important demographic for the food industry to cater to. It seems likely that we’ll see an increase in products made specifically with older customers in mind, like Menopause Bars.

8. Powered by Plants

With healthier lifestyle choices increasingly becoming a focus among Americans, many people are aiming to increase their intake of nutritious, superfood-based products. We’ve already begun to see a rise in functional mushroom-based products like mushroom coffee, mushroom jerky and mushroom chocolate. Mushrooms are such a nutritional powerhouse that it’s no surprise these products are appealing to an increasingly health-conscious population. We predict that we’ll continue to see an increase in superfood-based products, as well as products using herbs for added health benefits.

Up next: 55 Best Mushroom Recipes