2026 Food Trends That Deserve To Stick Around

Good lord, it really has been a year for trends. I’m exhausted. That is just kind of my permanent state, but throughout 2026, it feels like my fingers have been on fire as I hurriedly try to write articles that keep up with the flavors food companies have been throwing at us. And there have been a few repeat offenders that I’m sure we’ll all be glad to see the back of. Sorry, Dubai chocolate. Your time is done. Hope you enjoyed it. 

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But not all trends are bad. Not all trends are frivolous. And not all trends have had their day. Here are a couple that I think deserve to continue to stay well into 2027, and why I want them around. 

High Fiber

The increased prevalence of high-fiber foods, or “fibermaxxing,” has slightly paled in comparison to the utter domination protein has had over the food market this year. I’d argue that we need more of it, though. Barely anyone gets enough fiber, and I probably don’t need to remind you how important it is. High-fiber foods may not be as exciting or cool as high-protein ones, but they’re arguably way more useful. So, for 2027, I’d love to see more foods like Kashi’s Gut Health Granola – foods that understand the importance of fiber and seek to give us as much as possible. 

Swicy Flavors

I’m calling it: Swicy’s not dead. And nor should it be. We all got a little hung up on swicy (sweet-spicy) foods being everywhere thanks to the inexorable rise of hot honey, but I would argue that there’s so much more ground to break here. And swicy flavors are fun. They’re dynamic. They make things more exciting. Once we move away from basic combos of sugariness and heat and into more nuanced and diverse swicy flavors, we’ll all be better off for it. 

The Return Of Beef Tallow

Beef tallow saw a big boom in popularity this year, and when it did, a formerly popular fat came back to the fore. Now, I’m just going to get this out of the way: Beef tallow’s high in saturated fats, and it’s also an animal-derived product – so if you’re on a plant-based diet or watching your fat intake, it may not be right for your diet. But it really does make things delicious. It’s meaty. It’s rich. It’s excellent for fries. And as it’s a byproduct of the meat and cattle industry, when properly sourced, it can be sustainable. While I’m not hoping for beef tallow everything, there aren’t a lot of reasons why its resurgence is a bad thing for people who consume it in moderation.

Protein (But Not Everywhere)

Okay, listen. LISTEN. I know. I roll my eyes at everything being high-protein as much as the next person. But I’m going to say it (well, whisper it): Some high-protein versions of foods are fine by me. I don’t need protein chips, but more protein shake options? I’m down. Better-formulated protein bars that have higher fiber and less sugar and fewer additives? Sign me up. There’s a time and a place for high-protein foods, and I don’t think we should be banishing them. But I do think food companies should be a little smarter about what they’re putting out.