The Whole Foods Market Trends Council has been hard at work unearthing next year’s breakout trends.
Their consensus? 2026 is all about going back to the basics – platforming animal-based fats, minimally processed fruits and vegetables, and natural sweeteners – all while giving friends and family pantry envy with aesthetically pleasing packaging.
Here’s a closer look at five of the trends on display.
Empowering Shoppers With Minimally Processed Values
When restaurant chain Shake Shack decided to transition their oil to beef tallow following U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s endorsement of the fat source earlier this year, its implications had yet to be understood.
Concurrently, beef tallow-based products are driving impact in CPG, uniting those who support the “nose to tail” movement by consuming traditional discarded animal products with those who enjoy the nostalgic, indulgent flavor.
Products to watch: Fond Grass-Fed and Regenerative Beef Tallow, Jesse & Ben’s “Tallow & Sea Salt” House-Cut Fries, and South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow Cooking Spray
Similarly, this minimally processed approach is also empowering women, with tailwinds fostering the professional growth of female-identifying, nonbinary, and trans farmers through movements and grant programs such as the National Young Farmers Coalition, which support these demographics’ agricultural endeavors.
As a result, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization called 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Products to watch: Damya Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rancho Durazno Organic Yellow Peaches, and Kvarøy Arctic Salmon Nuggets
Simplifying Sweets
This year was all about reflecting on one’s personal wellness goals and understanding how food fits into the equation; however, 2026 will take this one step further by adding mindful indulgence to the shopping cart.
“Free-from” products made without artificial sweeteners and flavorings will be swapped for snacks that incorporate cane sugar or are naturally sweetened with fruit, honey, or maple syrup. Expect to see relatively lower sugar levels on nutrition labels as well.
Products to watch: Corpse Reviver Electrolyte Beverage, Smash Foods Cherry Pomegranate Superfood Fruit Spread, and Solely Organic Mango & Blueberry Fruit Gummies
Specialty and Speedy Staples, Reimagined
Brands are redefining the word “instant,” according to Whole Foods trendspotters. While the term once referred to lower-quality, microwaveable convenience, today it can be found on better-for-you and specialty products that deliver the same easy preparation, but with an upscale twist.
Single-serve premium coffees and matcha, “desk drawer ramen” with bone broth bases, and entire meals in a can are among the offerings championing the category in 2026.
Products to watch: Patagonia Provisions Sardines + Beans, Rising Tide Magic Oats with Mushrooms, and Aiya Matcha To-Go Sticks
In a similar vein, the freezer aisle is getting more premium with restaurant-quality heat-and-serve meals boasting a specialty experience at a more manageable price tag.
Products to watch: Flour + Water Cacio e Pepe Pizza, Force of Nature Grass Fed Ancestral Blend Classic Meatballs, and Laoban Crab Rangoon
Glorious Gut Health
It’s safe to say that 2025 was the year of protein, with fortified products coming to every corner of the food and beverage industry, even protein coffee (affectionately dubbed proffee). Next year, however, fiber will be the nutrient to watch.
Fiber resonates with consumers wanting to improve their gut health, digestion, and feel fuller for longer. Common fiber sources, such as cassava, chicory, and konjac are finding their way onto more ingredient labels.
Concurrently, vinegar is being explored for its functional qualities, which Whole Foods notes may deliver probiotic-like benefits. Growth areas include condiments and beverages.
Products to watch: Ayoh! Foods Hot Giardinayo Sando Sauce, Olyra Blueberry Soft Baked Bites, and Three Farm Daughters Cavatappi Pasta with Prebiotic Fiber
Package Designers: ‘Let Them Cook’
Brands in 2026 are stepping up their cultural relevance with packaging akin to works of art that add an aspirational quality to going premium.
These product decisions enhance its aesthetic appeal with bright colors, nostalgic designs, and fine art principles.
Products to watch: Bianco DiNapoli Organic Crushed Tomatoes, Brightland 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat 82% Raw Honey Cacao Chocolate Bar
Food for Thought Leadership
Is the future of flavor increasingly borderless? Valda Coryat, vice president of marketing for condiments and sauces at McCormick, reveals how curiosity powers McCormick’s flavor foresight, why segmentation by “flavor personality” matters, and how flavors are becoming more culturally driven.
