After spending three days in Las Vegas at the Specialty Food Association’s 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show and trying over 100 products (yes, 100), I am now an expert on the ins and outs of the food product world.
While many wonderful products are hitting the market this year, there are also some beloved food trends leaving shelves. These are the food trends that you can say goodbye to in 2023. Let us know in the comments if you will miss these trends or if you’re glad to see them go.
- Oat Milk
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In 2023, we’re going back to nut milk. The exciting newness of oat milk has worn off. Claims of greenwashing, criticism about ingredients, and the fact that oat milk lacks the protein of dairy, soy, or nut milk have people switching up what they’re adding to their coffee. It won’t totally go away, but it won’t be the dairy-free darling it’s been in past years. Prepare to see milk made from different types of nuts (like pistachios and cashews) in your grocery store’s cooler.
- CBD
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CBD is out and adaptogen-based non-alcoholic beverages are in. Pretty much the only people still buying CBD food and drink products are teens who don’t understand that CBD is different from weed (sorry, kids, it won’t get you high). If you’re still a diehard CBD fan, great! But you should expect to see fewer new CBD products advertised.
- Vegetarian Products
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Vegetarian products are being phased out in favor of products that are completely plant based. And I get it. If a brand is going to attempt to appeal to people who don’t eat meat, they might as well go all the way and make products that are totally vegan and appeal to a wider audience. For example, brands like Quorn and Morningstar Farms are taking the dairy and egg ingredients out of their formerly vegetarian products to make them vegan.
- Kale Chips
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Thankfully, we are done with kale chips. Companies have realized that they are too delicate to package and sell at the store without using a load of plastic. Now, they’re looking to sturdier vegetables. At the Fancy Food Festival, I saw carrot chips, beet chips, snap pea chips, mushroom chips, and more.
- Plant-Based Chick’n
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To be clear, plant-based chicken isn’t actually going away. Chick’n will always be here. That being said, you’ll likely see fewer new vegan chicken products hitting stores. Vegan pork, steak, and seafood are going to be the near-future focus of the meatless meat industry. I have my fingers crossed for vegan crawfish.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!