Whole Foods predicts biggest health food trends for 2020

With just two months left of 2019, the new year is fast approaching and with it brings a host of new food and drink trends.

This year we’ve seen a return to (healthy) fats , an uptick in probiotic consumption and an emphasis on sustainable foods , but now Whole Foods has revealed its predictions for what we can expect to see in every shopping trolley next year.

Like Waitrose predicted last year, West African food and alcohol-free cocktails will be the go-to for every dinner party, but alternative flours and conscious snacking will also make an appearance in 2020.

Jade Hoai, Director of Purchasing and Operations at Whole Foods in the UK, says: “Our customers rely on us to offer the absolute best quality alternative products that are unique to our stores, from plant-based spreads to alcohol-free zero proof drinks, there’s a trend for everyone.”

To find next year’s trends, Whole Foods enlisted 50 team members, including local foragers, regional and global buyers and culinary experts to compile its report. You can see their top predictions below.

Everyone will be serving West African foods

According to the experts at Whole Foods, rich and earthy dishes with traditional West African flavours will be popping up everywhere next year. Tomatoes, onions and chili peppers form the base of most dishes from the 16 nations in that area, with peanuts, lemongrass and ginger as delicious additions. Buyers can also expect to see more West African super foods on shelves next year, like moringa and tamarind, both rich in antioxidants.

The Great Flour Bake Off

Buyers will move away from traditional plain white flour next year and look to add newer and more interesting additions to their baking. Coconut flour has already taken off in 2019, but 2020 will see a rise of more fruit and vegetable flours – like banana – and consumers will also look to use traditional flours in their recipes, like teff flour used in Ethiopian dishes. Those looking to boost their bakes will opt for protein-packed flours like red lentil, chestnut or chickpea.

Carbon-free farming

Whole Foods’ experts say everyone from farmers to retailers are taking a closer look at how to use land and animal management practices to help improve soil health and minimise their carbon footprint. This ‘regenerative agriculture’ trend includes grazing practices that restore degraded soil, improve biodiversity and increase carbon capture to create long-lasting environmental benefits, such as positively impacting climate change.

Sustainable snacking

Forget the 3pm muesli bar, snacks have had a much-welcomed upgrade and the experts at Whole Foods predict the keyword for snacks in 2020 will be ‘fresh’. Think home-prepared snacks like hard boiled eggs, pickled vegetables, mug soups like miso and mini dips and dippers – all packed in reusable Tupperware, of course.

Well spread

Anything that hasn’t already been made into a spread will likely be on the shelves come 2020, with seed butters beyond tahini (hello, pumpkin butter) and spreads using superfoods like pili. Most spreads will be vegan, keto and paleo friendly next year – with olive ghee and sesame seed butters expected to be everywhere – and companies making the spreads will eliminate palm oil from its ingredient list, or at least switch to responsibly-sourced palm oil.

No-sugar sugars

For those on the no sugar bandwagon, 2020 will see plenty of sweet alternatives to use for cooking, baking or even to stir into your tea. Syrup reductions from fruit like monk fruit, pomegranates, coconuts and dates will be great for concentrated sweetness, while those in the know will switch out honey or maple syrup for syrups made from sorghum or sweet potato.

Non-alcoholic alternatives are here to stay

After a report last year found that a third of 16 to 24-year-olds never drink and that those who did were drinking less, and subsequently there has been a steady growth in no or low alcohol options. Buyers at Whole Foods expect this trend to continue next year, with brands creating non-alcoholic duplicates of classic cocktails using methods usually reserved for alcohol. Think botanical-infused faux spirits, alt-gin and mixers like hops-infused sparkling water.