Whole Foods Market Predicts Next Year’s Top Food Trends

The Whole Foods Market Trends Council has been hard at work forecasting next year’s food trends, and has released its annual Top 10 list. Among the foods and beverages expected to make waves in 2023 are pastas packed with produce, repurposed pulp and climate-conscious callouts.

The Trends Council comprises a group of more than 50 Whole Foods team members that compile their predictions based on experience, expertise in product sourcing, studying consumer preferences and workshopping with emerging and existing brands. A Trends Discovery Box with 10 products that represent each of the 10 trends in the forecast will be available for $30.

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“Our trends predictions are an exciting look at where we believe both product innovation and customer preferences are headed in the coming year,” said Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, chief marketing officer at Whole Foods. “We anticipate seeing these trends in the food industry at large, on dinner tables, in lunch boxes and on our store shelves.”

Yaupon, a holly bush found in the southeastern U.S., has unique benefits and will be found in beverages throughout 2023, including Local Leaf’s Yaupon Matcha Powder, Yaupon Brothers’ Lavender Coconut Tea and could even pop up on cocktail menus. Upcycled oat, soy and nut pulps are also expected to make waves in everything from baking mixes to brownies and cakes.

A new crop of plant-based pasta alternatives, with ingredients like spaghetti squash, hearts of palm and green bananas, are expected to be popular with shoppers, as are dates as a natural sweetener. Whole Foods also expects chicken welfare and climate consciousness to be top of mind in 2023.

Kelp-inspired products like 12 Tides Organic Puffed Kelp Chips have been deemed popular due to their sustainability. Old-school foods that have been remade with health consciousness in mind will appeal to today’s consumers, as will avocado oil-containing snacks, condiments and even ready-to-eat meals.

Finally, a focus on pet wellness and palate is becoming increasingly important, with products including Portland Pet Food Co.'s Brew Biscuits with Bacon and Whole Paws by Whole Foods Market’s Grass-Fed Lamb and Garbanzo Grain-Free Dog Food being trendy options.

“We’re thrilled to see things like baked goods with upcycled pulp from plant-based milks and ingredients like farmed kelp continue to gain popularity,” Oblisk continued. “From product labels that include sustainability efforts to poultry and egg suppliers that are leading the way in animal welfare, many of this year’s trends predictions showcase brands on a mission to make a true impact. We look forward to watching these trends come to life in our aisles in 2023.”

The first certified-organic national grocer, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100,  Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.