Top Food Trends for 2021

If you’ve made it this far into 2021 without breaking your New Year’s Resolution…. congratulations! Sure, it’s only January 8th, but I still think that’s saying a lot. Ha!

I vowed to participate in “Dry January”, continue working out and maintaining a clean diet. When I started researching clean eating recipes I started seeing a lot of articles about “food trends”. I’ve never been one for fad diets, but I am 100% on board with cutting some carbs and the added sugars this year. I also want to pay close attention to my gut health.

I’ve done a couple of TV spots chatting about my predicted 2021 Food Trends, this morning I appeared on KTLA in Los Angeles, and last week it was on WKYT in Lexington, KY. Back at my Old Kentucky Home (I really do miss Lexington) — this morning I got to chat about the Food Trends for 2021. Some old, some new, some might completely surprise you!

Snacking: The popularity of snacking rose dramatically this past year, and we’ll see it continue to grow in 2021. Americans are still eating 4-6 snacks throughout the day, as opposed to three full meals, which means each mini-meal needs to work harder to get us the nutrients we need to keep going. I recommend purchasing Bento-Boxes if you’re on the go to cut down on zip-lock baggies. With the different compartments in the box, you can add hummus or homemade dips for your veggies. Some of my favorite add-ons are almonds, and ParmCrisps.
Charcuterie Boards that aren’t Charcuterie Boards: If you’re a faithful follower, you already know my passion for Charcuterie Boards runs deep. However, as a fun twist in the snacking game, non-cheese and meat boards started to spike in popularity last year. In fact, Pinterest reported a 400% increase in searches for pancake boards, cookie boards hot chocolate boards and so many more. I haven’t gotten too creative YET… but I plan to this year. I did create a Mexican inspired board, read about that one here!
Better for your body beverages: Jeff and I are both trying really hard to participate in “Dry January”. But for us it’s not just alcohol… it’s also cutting out sugary drinks in general. Almost every brand has their spin on sparkling water, most contain fresh fruit juice with no added sugars. These drinks are a great alternative to plain water. Kombucha will also spike in popularity in 2021, even as boozy boocha (as I like to call it.) If you are participating in “Dry January” I shared 4 mocktail recipes earlier this week. You can find those here!
Delivery Services: After seeing a huge increase in demand for grocery deliveries (guilty!)… experts are predicting the demand for online grocery services to grow by 40 percent this year! It seems like many grocery services finally have a handle on this new world of increased delivery. Many are even stepping up and also offering meal kits for individuals and entire families.
Virtual Cocktail Classes and Cocktails To Go: In Columbus, many of the bars had to reinvent themselves during lockdown, and most now offer “cocktails-to-go” some… like High Bank Distillery also offer virtual cocktail classes. These classes are a fun way to connect with family or friends via zoom while learning a new craft!
Transparency behind the brand and better for the environment:

Transparency for brands is growing on all fronts, and food is no exception. Consumers have shown they are beginning to gravitate to brands that make efforts to be better-for-you and for the environment. Consumers are looking for brands now that pull back the curtain, and show the efforts they care making to be better, which really is better for all of us!