15 Food Trends and Flavor Fads for 2022 You Should Know About

The last two years have caused some profound disruption to our everyday lives, and we are still adjusting to the new normal. Our food consumption and flavor preferences are changing as well, inevitably transforming our shopping and eating habits.
Let's take a look at some new exciting trends in food and beverages, according to the Whole Foods Trend Council and leading culinary experts.

Urban farming has nowhere to go but up. It's been consistently growing since Whole Foods pioneered it back in 2013. It has gone from hydroponics and aquaponics to mushrooms grown above grocery aisles.

With constant advances in technology and focus on sustainability and the environment, this trend is here to stay. SideChef is wholeheartedly supporting this exciting development in the food industry.

Even more so, we absolutely should join this sustainability and locality movement and contribute to it as individuals. Did you know that it is very easy for perennial herbs to grow indoors? Even if you can’t cultivate a small garden, you can always look into indoor gardening and have fresh herbs ready for your cooking!

Check out some perennial herbs you can easily grow indoors, and join the modern ultra-urban indoor farming trend!

Having gone through multiple lockdowns taught us to cook more and look for smart ways to do our grocery shopping without leaving the house. We believe this trend is also only going to grow from now on.

Meal planning and smart grocery shopping will continue making our lives more convenient and will directly contribute to solving the food waste problem. We believe that smart and responsible grocery shopping based on proper meal planning will become the new normal.

With the help of new technologies and an AI-powered hands-on approach, we all can help solve the global food waste problem. All the while making out lives better and more convenient. Proper meal planning, cooking more, and learning to do it efficiently, changing our grocery buying habits is becoming global.

SideChef team couldn't be happier to jump on this sustainability train and deliver the best options for smart meal planning and grocery shopping. We are facilitating a potent distribution channel that uses direct access methods to allow consumers to shop quickly and take delivery of grocery products without ever leaving their homes.

There are so many trendy dietary restrictions based on personal convictions these days... A lot of those are rather exclusive and extreme. We believe that the future is all about moderation and acceptance.

You might have heard about flexitarians - a combination of the words “flexible” and “vegetarian.” It's a cross between going full vegan or vegetarian with the ability to enjoy meat and dairy every so often. Believe it or not, most of us are already unconsciously members of this movement for different reasons, be it environmental awareness or being committed to improving one's health.

The "reducetarian" movement is gaining more and more members every day, and once again, you might be an unaware member already. So, what does "reducetarianism" mean, and how do you become a "reducetarian"?

Suppose you aren't ready to go completely vegetarian or vegan but still want to reduce your animal products consumption to help the planet or improve your health. In that case, the reducetarian movement is for you.

Many reducetarians also prioritize eating high-quality grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs when they choose to have animal products. The Reducetarian movement’s goal is “to improve human health, protect the environment, and spare farm animals from cruelty by reducing societal consumption of animal products.” Want to try the trend?

While exclusively vegan and vegetarian restaurants and online resources solely dedicated to vegan and vegetarian recipes and lifestyles are not new, we believe that 2022 will take normalizing plant-based meals to the next level.

The concept of moderation and acceptance is bound to take over in the coming year, making plant-based menu options in most restaurant menus the new normal. Adding a new lineup of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options offering food that works for everyone will become a common practice.

The new superfood moringa is also known as drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or "miracle leaf,” and it's all the rage right now. Moringa leaves are incredibly nutritious and have seven times more vitamin C than oranges and fifteen times more potassium than bananas. Even the World Health Organization hails this healthy green leaf for its ability to fight malnutrition.

Moringa is now emerging as a powder (same as matcha once did) you can add to healthy smoothies, sauces, or desserts. It can be found as a health supplement, and you will be seeing moringa in many grocery products like grain blends, protein bars, chocolate, and frozen desserts.

But sudden hype around moringa and its fantastic health benefits surprised SideChef's Content Manager, Beverly Ng. It turns out Beverly has been on-trend since she was a little girl.

"In the Philippines, moringa is known as malunggay. Malunggay leaves are often used in cooking, but it's something you never actually buy from the market. I don't remember ever seeing malunggay in the grocery store either" - Beverly says, - "Growing up in Manila, almost everyone's house had a malunggay tree in the backyard. If you didn't have it, then your neighbors certainly did. We always picked malunggay leaves from our neighbor's garden. In the Philippines, we have this hearty stew called "monggo" with malunggay leaves (mung bean stew with moringa). I love monggo stew for many reasons. When I was a kid, my mom would make monggo stew for lunch or dinner. Monggo stew is hot, thick, and creamy. You can have it year-round, but it tastes most special when it's stormy and muggy on a weekday, and you get to stay home cause school is canceled due to typhoon".

Mocktails are making a comeback. In their latest media release, Whole Foods announced, "The dialed-down spirits category experienced record growth in our stores this year. With millennials and Gen Z-ers dabbling in 'drysolation' during the pandemic, we don't see the sober-curious mindset going away anytime soon."

Get ready to see more alcohol-free versions of your favorite boozy cocktails. Before the new buzz-less drinks lineup hits the grocery stores, you can make some delicious mocktails yourself and enjoy some good ol' Sweet Tea, Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail, or this Christmas Caribbean Sorrel.

Sunflower seeds are branching out into their own thing and are no longer just another variety within the "seeds and nuts" category. You will see sunflower seeds in ice cream, cheeses, butter, spreads, protein bars, and many healthy snacks.

Exclusively using sunflower seeds and keeping nuts out of the healthy snack variety will also make these trendy products available for people with nut allergies.

If you're a fan of both the taste and health benefits of sunflower seeds, you will love this homemade Seed Loaf perfect with a smear of butter or your favorite type of spread.

Functional foods have been trending for a few years by now. Sparkling beverages are already doing double duty because of the ever-so-popular healthy lifestyle craze. Kombucha is no longer the only healthy bubbly drink. Get ready to see more probiotic sodas, prebiotic tonic waters, and other sparkling functional beverages appearing in 2022 as one of the major food trends.

Turmeric is more than just an ingredient in curry. It has long been known as a dietary supplement with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. No surprise that this famed golden spice with additional benefits is becoming even more popular in the coming year.

Turmeric, also known as Curcuma or saffron, is becoming a common ingredient in cereal and granola, salads, sauerkraut, bread, and even ice cream. Turmeric has a very distinct earthy taste, with mild notes of ginger and peppery spice. Mix it with cumin, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, or coriander and add more flavor to stews, soups, rice, or even smoothies, homemade functional fizz, and coffee.

Hibiscus has been long known by tea consumers, famous for its high Vitamin C content. It's a beautiful flower grown on almost every continent. There are over 200 varieties of hibiscus, and it is also commonly known as roselle, Jamaican sorrel, or Florida cranberry.

Get ready to find hibiscus-flavored functional sodas, fruit spreads, yogurts, and more. The pleasant mild tartness with notes of florals and fruits mixes well with ground spices like cloves, cardamom, anise, ginger, and cinnamon. You can easily incorporate hibiscus into many sweet treats, like this Strawberry Hibiscus Syrup or this Hibiscus Ginger Morning Smoothie.

Yuzu is a funny-looking citrus fruit mainly cultivated in Japan, Korea, and China. Yuzu fruit can't be enjoyed as is because of its potent flavor. It is very sour and tart and amazingly fragrant. And currently, yuzu fruit is taking the culinary world by storm.

Yuzu's zest and juice are great flavoring agents used in vinaigrettes, mayo, hard seltzer, and more. Many chefs incorporate it into cakes, soups, noodles, vegetable, and fish dishes. The yuzu fruit is bound to be a star of 2022 fruit grocery aisles.

Spicy flavors are getting even hotter in 2022. A spicy flavor profile with notes of sweetness is expected to become even more popular.

Especially spicy and sweet heat inspired by global cuisines like Korean gochujang, Mexican tajin, Japanese furikake, or Indonesian sambal. All these hot sauces will be trending even more next year.

So it's time to enjoy some Gochujang Aioli with fried chicken, grilled cheese, or tortilla chips; Homemade Furikake with rice, eggs, pasta, or popcorn; Chili Mango Chicken with hot sambal sauce, and Indonesian Sambal Goreng Kentang.

Cold coffee and cold brews are trendy among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. You will see a whole new variety of exotic ingredients and plant-based types of milk used in cold coffee-based drinks.

Tremendous pandemic-related shifts limiting our travel options once again reflect in some exotic flavors we crave. Think Japanese Coffee Amazake or traditional Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

Nostalgia and retro flavor follow us into 2022. This is a countertrend to the health-focused and experience-driven trends dominating our list.

We all have a strong connection between flavors, smells, and good memories. Old-fashioned dishes remind us of a comfortable and carefree time. This food fad is here to stay for years to come. It is about simplicity and full flavors instead of complicated diets and the newest superfoods.

Nostalgic throwback recipes like Classic Macaroni and Cheese, Apple Cinnamon Pop-Tarts, Homemade Sloppy Joes, and Nutella Chocolate will continue trending in the future.

We are looking to escape from the stressful realities by adding more tropical flavors into our foods. Most culinary experts agree that tropical fruit flavors and islands cuisines will rise in popularity next year.
Think the Caribbean guava, tropical mango, coconut curry, and more culinary escapes to the tropics.