Kroger Announces Food Trend Predictions for 2023

America continues eat at home trend, celebrating life's special moments by cooking and entertaining for family and friends

CINCINNATI, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's grocer, today announced its 2023 Food Trends Report, which predicts emerging food trends, consumer behaviors and popular items for the year ahead. The fifth-annual report centers on America's continued eat at home habits as pandemic concerns subside* with consumers now seeking to make up for lost time and celebrate everything from life's special moments to everyday milestones by entertaining and cooking at home together with their family and friends.

"This is the year of celebration as we relish in being together with family and friends," said Stuart Aitken, senior vice president, chief merchant and marketing officer. "Customers not only learned to cook during the pandemic, they grew to love it. In 2023, cooking at home remains a mainstay with customers gathering together to celebrate time lost and save money as inflation moderates. From global flavors and elevating a special meal to household staples, Kroger is proud to offer our customers fresh, affordable food every day and we are honored to play a small part in so many shared happy moments."

Foods and flavors that make everyone happy: From grandparents to gen z, curating a celebratory spread that is sure to please a crowd is top of mind for hosts and entertainers. Standbys such as cheese, cheesecake and salt and pepper flavored items are more popular than ever with customers. From elevating personalized charcuterie, adding a special zest to family favorite snacks and dishes to satisfying a sweet tooth, shoppers are falling in love with these favorite foods and flavors all over again.

Products to try:

• Murray's Cave Aged Gruyere
• Private Selection New York Style Cheesecake
• Private Selection Greek Olives & Feta Mix
• Private Selection Roasted Poblano Queso Blanco Dip
• Home Chef Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
• Private Selection Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Kit
• Simple Truth Plant-based non-dairy Parmesan Style Cheese
• Simple Truth Raspberry Cheesecake Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars
• Private Selection Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Creamer
• Private Selection Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt Kettle Chips
• Murray's Mini-Brie

Making it easy on the host: Customers are looking for ease when it comes to everyday snacking, meal planning and hosting. Dips and dippers have emerged as a favorite, whether it's for a delicious snack or pleasing partygoers. From fresh veggies to protein packed, the options are endless for a satisfying dip and dipper combo. Sweet snacks are also on the rise with customers jazzing up their traditional salty snacks or looking for an easy dessert option to contribute to a celebration.

Products to try:

• Kroger Chicken Salad
• Simple Truth Organic Black Bean Dip
• Private Selection Hass Avocado Ranch Dip
• Simple Truth Ancient Grains Jalapeno Cilantro Gluten Free Rice Crackers
• Private Selection Seedless Baby Cucumbers
• Simple Truth Organic Snap Peas
• Private Selection Sweet Brown Butter Pretzel Twists
• Simple Truth Sugar Cookie Confetti Cashews
• Kroger Brand Popcorn cheddar & Caramel Mix
• Private Selection Gold Nugget Seedless Mandarins
• Simple Truth Plant-based Mini Cookies

Making a meal special: At home meals remain a staple with shoppers continuing to find ways to elevate their menus. During the pandemic customers began engaging more with seafood and the grocer shares the trend continues to grow. Look for items such as shrimp, sea scallops and crabcakes to add a special element to a meal and save money instead of eating seafood in a restaurant.

Products to try:

• Private Selection Cold Smoked Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon
• Home Chef Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter
• Kroger Savory Garlic Shrimp Scampi
• Kroger Beer Battered Shrimp
• Private Selection Shrimp Queso with Green Chiles Dip
• Private Selection Crab Cakes
• Private Selection Bacon-Wrapped Wild Sea Scallops

Celebrate our heritage: Foods and flavors from around the globe are being embraced as customer favorites. Families and friends are connecting over meals boasting ingredients that celebrate the diversity found in food.

Products to try:

• Private Selection Argentinian Inspired Chimichurri Blend
• Kroger Chinese Inspirations Chicken Fried Rice
• Private Selection Indian Inspired Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
• Kroger 90 Second Cilantro Lime Rice
• Home Chef Indian Style Chicken Curry Soup
• Simple Truth Organic Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• Private Selection Chile Crisp Condiment
• Home Chef Carne Asada Street Taco Kit 
• Kroger Yum Yum Sauce
• Kroger Korean Inspired Meatballs
• Home Chef Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

Customers can get their favorite trending items and more by shopping in-store, through Kroger Pickup or delivered using Boost by Kroger Plus, the annual grocery delivery membership that can save customers up to $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. Eligible customers can now try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe on a monthly basis for as little as $7.99 a month. 

*84.51º, Kroger's retail and data science, insights and media arm, reports that customers say their COVID-19 concerns are at an all-time low for two consecutive months.

Media assets are available to download here.

About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.