Each year, Whole Foods kicks off the food trend prediction cycle with their list of what they think customers will be buying in droves in the coming year.

1. Gut Health:

More probiotic and kraut/fermented foods – all part of the healthy digestion bandwagon.

2. “Tasters Choice”:

Coffee flavor-infused granola, sunflower seeds, peanuts and garnishes – taking coffee spice rubs up a notch

3. Well Oiled: While we’ve been using walnut oil for Passover, it is hitting the general market along with pumpkin oil and more truffle oil varieties.

4. Tomato Tomatoes No More: Because most of society was home this year, we began to experiment with at-home shakshukas, and pasta dinners were a weekly staple. This meant people had time to slow roast and make their own at-home sauce. Now with less cook time, the desire for high quality sauce, from shelf to skillet is on the rise. @Tuscanini.

5. Most Favorite Meal: Because there was time to sit and eat breakfast over quarantine, people began to once again tap into the fundamental benefits of the most important meal of the day. Oats, chia bowls, waffles, and eggs are making a comeback.

6. Chickpeas: Chickpeas are so versatile. Besides for being a starchy filler and replacing flour in your favorite baked goods, you will see this protein powerhouse popping up in ice cream, cereal, chips, dips, and flatbreads.

7. Fruit Leather: Remember those sticks of fruit we were sent to school with in lieu of gushers and white sugar-laden treats? Fruit leathers and plant-based jerkys are making a comeback in 2021.

8. Meal Kit Subscription Services:  People got used to cooking wholesomely at home, but now that we are going back to work and time is once again a sparse commodity people will want to adhere to their healthy way of living, albeit on a time budget.

Takeout food is going to be big as well. People have gotten so used to Postmates and Uber Eats over quarantine that these former “luxuries” are now shifting to the category of “self care.”

9. Unconventional Charcuterie Boards: Think fish boards for Melava Malka, cheese boards that encouraged plain mozzarella enthusiasts to venture where they have yet to “Gouda” – and even dessert boards have been making the rounds.

10. Plant-Based Foods Are Here To Stay: Couple plant-based protein with AI technology, and 2021 is shaping to see more dairy-free alternatives in the form of froths, foams, and blends made from pea protein, cabbage juice, pineapple juice, and other plant ingredients.

11. Let’s Play With Our Food: Admit it, sometimes patchk’eing is fun. The way Dalgona coffee entered the scene; we will continue to see food activities with pancake cereal, miniature foods and more ideas like Kosher.com’s Mini Cheerio Donut craft.

12. Low-Waste Potato Peels, Anyone? Companies are focusing on ways to decrease food waste by using up the odd parts of ingredients. New, creative products are hitting the shelves such as dried fruit peels, upcycled baking flour, and granola bars made from leftover grains.

13. Condiments That Garner Compliments: Nobody wants to be stuck again in a global pandemic and be left without their favorite restaurant’s special sauce. Companies are bottling those up and hitting the shelves, so you’ll never be left high and dry.

Food is great; it keeps things exciting. But at the end of the day, it’s simply a fun accoutrement to the framework of life. May 2021 be filled with health and excitement overall.