3 Food Trends We Can Expect To See In 2018, According To Whole Foods

The year's end is slowly sneaking up on us, and while that might be a scary thought for anyone who is still trying to tackle a few more things on their 2017 resolution list, it's an exciting time for new food trends. With help from experienced trend-spotters and consumer data, Whole Foods recently made several food trends predictions for 2018, and we're particularly excited about three of them.

Whole Foods says that in the new year, sparkling beverages will be an even bigger deal than they are now. That's good news for those of us who are already devoted seltzer drinkers, but the grocery chain says this trend is going to go beyond water. It names sparkling cold brew from brands like Stumptown as a drink that's expected to rise in popularity. This past September, Starbucks introduced a whole line of sparkling cold pressed espresso drinks to its Seattle Reserve Roastry menu. We hope Whole Foods is right about this trend growing because it could mean more sparkling beverages across the country. The grocer also suggests that flavored sparking waters will become a key ingredient in cocktails and mocktails, which we think would make happy hour even happier.

Accompanying our bubbly beverages in 2018, Whole Foods says that puffed and popped snacks will become a staple. And not just popcorn, either. According to the grocery chain's recent trend report, "new extrusion methods" have made it possible to add puff, pop, and crisp to even more foods. Its list of unexpected new snacks include puffed bowtie pasta, seaweed fava chips, and Brussels sprout crips.

Last but not least — it's actually Whole Foods' number one food trend prediction for 2018 — we can look forward to tasting floral flavors more often in the new year. According to the grocery chain, we can see this trend's "subtly sweet taste" and "fresh aromatics" popping up in a few different forms, "from adding whole flowers and petals into dishes to infusing botanical flavors into drinks and snacks." A few specific drinks to look out for in this category are lavender lattes, hibiscus teas, and elderflower cocktails. Perhaps it could also mean adding even more rosiness to our already extreme rosé obsession. Sounds like 2018 could be our tastiest year yet.