About Time: You Discovered Whole Foods Market’s 2020 Food TrendsBy Angelica Malin

Know your nut butter from your nut milk? This week Whole Foods Market’s global buyers and experts have recently revealed the most anticipated and innovative food trends for 2020 – and it’s very nutty indeed. Here’s the lowdown on what we’ll all be eating next year (apparently):

Whole Foods Market’s top food trend predictions for 2020

Regenerative Agriculture

Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. While the term “regenerative agriculture” can have many definitions, in general it describes farming and grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change. You can help by seeking out brands that support regenerative practices.

Try the Trend: Alara Scottish Porridge; Alara Organic Museli; The Cheeky Panda Plastic Free Bamboo Toilet Roll; Calon Organic Milks

Flour Power

As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an array of interesting flours are entering the market making baking more inclusive and adventurous. Consumers on the baking bandwagon are seeking out ingredients used in traditional dishes, like teff flour used for Ethiopian injera. 2020 will bring more interesting fruit and vegetable flours (like banana!) into home pantries, with products like red lentil flour baking aisles, rather than already baked into crusts and snack products. Consumer packaged goods are getting in on the trend by replacing traditional alternative flours with purple corn in crisps and snack foods. As consumers look for more ways to boost their bake, “super” flours delivering protein and fibre join the trend. Let the adventures in baking begin!

Try the Trend: Amisa Organic Chestnut Flour; Amisa Red Lentil Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Teff Flour; Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Chickpea Flour, Lovegrass Teff Waffle and Pancake Mix

Foods from West Africa

From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy dishes, traditional West African flavours are popping up everywhere in food and in beverage. The trio of tomatoes, onions and chilli peppers form a base for many West African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and lemongrass are all common additions. The 16 nations within West Africa share similar foods, but each have their own specialties based on subtle influences from the Middle East and Western Europe. Brands are looking to West Africa for its superfoods too like moringa and tamarind, and lesser known cereal grains sorghum, fonio, teff and millet.

Try the Trend: Aduna Moringa Mint or Nettle Tea; Red Red’s Super Stew Sweet Potato Red Beans; Red Red’s Super Stew Okra Lentils

Out-of-the-Box, Into-the-Fridge Snacking

Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options are more than keeping up. The keyword is “fresh” in this new generation of grabbing and going—gone are the days when the only options were granola bars and mini pretzel bags. The refrigerated section is filling up with the kind of wholesome, fresh snacks typically prepared and portioned in advance at home: hard-boiled eggs; pickled vegetables, drinkable soups and mini dips and dippers of all kinds, all perfectly portioned and in convenient packaging. Even protein bars have made their way from the shelves to the chiller, thanks to the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables. These snacking innovations mean ingredients lists are shrinking and there’s a lot less guesswork in picking up a quick snack you can feel better about.

Try the Trend: Bio Sabor Fresh Salmorejo; Alvalle Original Gazpacho; Yaar Nordic Vanilla Quark Bar; Tickle’s Pickles Carrot Soleniya; Protein Pow’s Vegan Ready to Eat Doughs

Everything Butters and Spreads

Has (insert nut, seed, snack) been made into a butter yet? It’s likely to happen in 2020. Think seed butters beyond tahini – like seasonal products such as pumpkin butter year-round. Look for creamy vegan spreads perfect for toast, crackers, bagels, and celery sticks that get their full flavours from trending superfoods like pili. It helps the trend that spreads and butters are touting paleo- and keto-friendly attributes, but transparency is also a key player in this trend. Many brands are looking to either eliminate the use of palm oil or promote a Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil certification and use nuts that are grown in ways with less likelihood for environmental impact.

Try the Trend: Yogan Almond Cultured Butter; Bonsan Olive / Sunflower Ghee; Naturli Organic Gluten Free Spreadable Vegan Butter; Sead Sesame Butters

Not-So-Simple Sugars

Sure, there’s sugar. But for those seeking sweetness outside of the usual suspects like sugar, stevia, honey and maple syrup, there’s lots more to choose from for your cooking, baking and tea- or coffee-stirring needs. Syrupy reductions from fruit sources like monk fruit, pomegranates, coconut and dates are one way to add concentrated, unique flavours into recipes for desserts, meat glazes and marinades. Sweet syrups made from starches like sorghum and sweet potato can be compared to the deep flavours of molasses or honey and can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Swerve, a cup-for-cup zero-calorie non-glycemic replacement for sugar, combines erythritol with ingredients from fruit and starchy root vegetables to produce a sweetener that’s available in granular, confectioners’ and brown versions.

Try the Trend: Troo Spoonful of Fibre Liquid Inulin; Ginger Party Organic Ginger Syrup; Meridian Date Syrup; Odysea Pomegranate Molasses

Zero-Proof Drinks

With so many consumers seeking out alternatives to alcohol, unique non-alcoholic options are popping up everywhere, from menus at the world’s most acclaimed bars to specialty stores. Many of these beverages seek to re-create classic cocktail flavours using distilling methods typically reserved for alcohol, creating an alternative to liquor meant to be used with a mixer rather than a drink on its own. Think alt-gin for gin and tonics and botanical-infused faux spirits for a faux martini. Add to that options enjoyed straight from the bottle or can, like hops-infused sparkling waters and zero-proof aperitifs, and you can be sure guests avoiding the bar cart will never get bored.

Try the Trend: Rocktails Orangewood; Longbottom & Co Virgin Mary; Opia Alcohol Free Chardonnay/Cabernet Sauvignon/Rosé; Sohnlein Alcohol Free Sparking White Wine; Maisel Alcohol Free Wheat Beer; Brewdog Punk Alcohol-Free IPA; Infinite Alcohol Free Pils & IPA; Real Kombucha’s Dry Dragon, Royal Flush & Smoke House drinks.

“Try the Trend” products and brands illustrating 2020 food trends include a variety of products available now or coming to Whole Foods Market stores in 2020 for either local or national distribution. Shoppers can seek out trending products by visiting any of our London based stores. Find them at wholefoodsmarket.co.uk