Datassential Releases 2026 Food and Beverage Trends Report
CHICAGO, Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Datassential, the leading food and beverage intelligence platform, has released its 2026 Trends report, identifying the emerging food, flavor, and beverage trends poised to transform menus and retail foodservice.
"This year's report captures a pivotal moment where trends are starting increasingly at retail (vs. restaurants), fiber is poised to overtake protein as the next big health trend, and animal meat is making a comeback," said Jaclyn Marks, Senior Publications Manager and Trendologist. "The 2026 Trends report equips foodservice businesses with the insights and data they need to navigate these shifts and capitalize on the foods, flavors, and beverages that will define the year ahead and beyond."
Datassential's 2026 Trends report features the following macro themes, as well as the 'cuisine to know' for next year:
Fiber to the Max - Fiber is the New Protein: Fiber (which can naturally increase the GLP-1 hormone in the body) is poised to overtake protein and be the next big health trend, particularly at retail, where new products are popping up highlighting fiber in relation to gut health. Notably, over half of consumers say that when thinking about their health in 2026, consuming more foods/beverages for gut health (like fiber) will be important to them.
Retail Reinvention - Retail vs. Foodservice Competition Ramps Up: Retail venues are entering a new era, gaining traction as trend incubators and meeting consumers with quality, innovation, and value that rival restaurants.
When asked where they typically learn about new food and beverage trends, 69% of consumers point to packaged retail products, and 63% cite prepared foods at grocery and convenience stores – surpassing discovery through restaurants.
Meat's Back on the Menu: Plant-based meat's menu growth has plateaued, and the tide is turning back to animal proteins. Most consumers agree that nothing beats the "real thing." – 72% of consumers say animal meat is more satisfying than plant-based meat and 67% say there are dishes where plant-based meat just won't cut it and can't replace the comfort, texture, or taste of animal meat.
Teatime is the New Happy Hour - The Evolution of the Low/No Alcohol Movement: Operators are rethinking what happy hour can be, from the hours it begins to deals/specials on not just alcoholic beverages but also mocktails and food. Tea-based mocktails and cocktails are on the rise in line with the sober curious movement, and afternoon teatime is making a comeback and marrying two key trends: little treat culture and newstalgia. Nearly half of Gen Z consumers (49%) say that when thinking of their health in 2026, reducing alcohol consumption will be important, and notably, Gen Z (23%) is statistically more likely than Gen X (9%) and Boomers (9%) to drink tea or tea-based beverages at happy hour.
Cuisine to Know for 2026: Keralan
Keralan concepts (inspired by the cuisine found in the state of Kerala in India) are popping up stateside, with a variety of U.S. operators calling out Keralan dishes and beverages on menus. Keralan cuisine, which 39% of U.S. consumers are interested in trying, is characterized by seafood, rice, coconut, veggie-forward dishes, and spices like curry leaves, turmeric, asafoetida (a pungent, funky, savory spice), and more.
2026 Food, Flavor, and Beverage Trends:
This year's report features 10 New Classic Foods, Flavors, & Beverages for 2026, including monosodium glutamate (MSG), ube, butter chicken, and Basque cheesecake, as well as 10 Foods, Flavors, & Beverages to Know for the Future that Datassential experts anticipate will gain traction in the coming years, ranging from stracciatella cheese to ancient grain beer to fermented black beans to huacatay (Peruvian black mint).
Visit Datassential's food and beverage trends resource page to get a free preview of the 2026 Trends report. Media can access the list and preview via the email below.
The full presentation-ready report is available exclusively for subscribers. For more information or to become a subscriber, click here.
About Datassential
Datassential is the food and beverage industry's trusted insights and intelligence partner, helping brands make smarter decisions since 2001. With the launch of Datassential One, the company unified its most powerful tools — from menu trends and consumer insights to sales intelligence and social listening — into a single platform.
Over 90% of the biggest names in foodservice, including Starbucks, General Mills, Land O' Lakes, Pepsi, Burger King, and Target, rely on Datassential to stay ahead of what's next.
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