Bowled Over: Bowl Chains Win Over Restaurant Goers

Juice It Up!, a restaurant chain focused on healthier-for-you offerings like super fruit bowls, has recently enjoyed a 38% sales surge.

Line Between Food and Supplement Industries Continues to Blur

Through its new “super greens” partnership with BEAM, Dole joins the growing list of major food producers pivoting into the supplement category. How far will this industry convergence go?

Carb-Friendly Atlantic Diet Rivals Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet

A new study indicates that the Atlantic diet could be as healthy as the Mediterranean diet, despite Atlantic’s higher allowance of carbs and dairy products.

Appetite for Reduction: GLP-1 Drugs Fuel Grocery Decrease

The market for GLP-1 drugs is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030. Manufacturers and brands who want a piece of the low-sugar pie, so to speak, will have to offer the same.

Cereal Manufacturers Desperate to Boost Sales

Americans are turning away from breakfast cereal, and that’s got cereal manufacturers seeking fresh innovation to bring consumers back to their bowls and the breakfast table.

Consumers Award Better-for-You in New Product Survey

Despite some titans of the pantry and cookie jar winning in their categories (Keebler’s Chips Deluxe Fudgy in the Cookie category; Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream in Soft Drink), better-for-you offerings not only abounded but won several snacking categories.

Taking Stock of Wellness: Target Launches Wellness Initiative

The least expensive products will start at just $1.99 and range from apparel to supplements, vitamins to technology, and more. Many of the offerings will be exclusive to Target and complement its dedicated online wellness destination that features ideas, meal inspiration, and more.

Consumer Buzz: Top 3 Wellness Trends

Across the U.S, social chatter is shaping wellness conversations and boosting demand for related ingredients. Here are three wellness trends to watch, according to a new report from Brightfield Group. Immunity Now Within Brightfield’s Wellness …

Understanding the Current Blood-Sugar Monitoring Craze

Recent diet “hacks” to minimize blood sugar spikes are inspiring perfectly healthy consumers to start glucose monitoring.

Organic Growth Continues, Even Amidst Inflation

Though the cost of many grocery items – like beef and poultry – continues to increase, organic food sales continue to rise.

Do Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) Cause Anxiety?

What came first – the Cheeto or the existential crisis? That’s the question a recent story in The New York Times hoped to answer. Though a definitive answer remains elusive, many scientists, nutritionists, and more …

How Meijer Saved 10 Millions Pounds of Food

Through its partnership with Flashfood, an app which offers steep discounts on groceries nearing their sell-by dates, Meijer has become the first American retailer to save 10 million pounds of potentially wasted food. To put …

Adapting to Ashwagandha

The Indian herbal supplement Ashwagandha gaining ground in the West these days as a dietary supplement for a variety of uses.

The Food as Medicine Conundrum

Like many diets, indulgences, and vices, “everything in moderation” is a good rubric by which to evaluate one’s actions if implementing a food-as-medicine nutritional plan.

Google Reveals Most Popular Diet Foods

New research from Personal Trainer Pioneer has revealed the top ten diet foods in the U.S. based on their popularity in online searches.

Let’s Get Nuts: Macadamia Mania Has Arrived

The macadamia nut market is growing at a CAGR of 11.2%, and experts believe macadamias may soon move to the center of the premium nut mix category.

Craft Soda Market Bubbling Over With Potential

The craft soda market is showing potential of late, as noted by the surge in the category’s sales at companies like Sprecher Brewing.

What’s Old is New Again: Harvesting Ancient Grains in F&B

“Consumers can expect to see ancient grains used as an alternative base for many products, ranging from cereal, to bread, to pancake batter. Expect to see them regularly on the menu in restaurants, especially in dishes with other healthy items such as salmon, vegetables, or tofu.”

Chocolate Purchases Dip Despite Candy Viewed as Energy Boost

A new report from Mintel suggests one-third of Americans rationalize purchasing chocolate as an energy boost. Meanwhile, new research suggests a direct connection between dark chocolate and reducing factors that contribute to essential hypertension.

Seven Health and Wellness Trends for Foodservice in the New Year

With the New Year underway, which health and wellness trends are food consumers gravitating towards? Which should the food industry focus on?

The Dukan Diet: The Next Controversial Weight-Loss Craze?

The Dukan diet has earned high praise from celebrities, some of whom claim to have lost 10 pounds in a week on the plan. But some experts fear it isn’t entirely safe.

Exploring the Wild Foods and Foraging Market: An Emerging Consumer Trend

The wild foods and foraging market has been steadily gaining traction among consumers, fueled by the allure of locally sourced and unique ingredients. Not only does this trend tap into the essence of sustainable eating, …

The Plastic Diet: Uncovering Hidden Microplastics in the Food Supply

Despite their utility in enhancing the flexibility and durability of plastic, plasticizers have infiltrated most facets of food production.

2023: The Year of Private Label Sets the Stage for 2024

Millennials grew up with store brands and they see them for what they are – a brand. Without a doubt, there is a transformation taking place in the private brand mainstream tier where products are moving away from strict equivalency to national brands and becoming true national brand alternatives.

Walmart Defines Adaptive Retail, the Next Evolution in Shopping

“Choose a future that puts people first – if we keep doing that, we can help people around the world live a better life. That’s what we want to do – that’s the world we want to help create.”

A Gluten-Free-For-All: Brands Scramble to Make Better GF Products  

When Katie Olesen was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2018, she struggled to find gluten-free items at her grocer. Barely half a decade later, major food companies like King Arthur are producing multiple gluten-free products, …

Alcohol and No/Low Trends in 2024

Dozens of brands are experimenting in the nonalcoholic (NA) and low-alcohol space, offering consumers the opportunity to not so much choose sides but merely choose wisely according to their preferences, dietary needs, and personal goals. 

Analysis: Albertsons’ Healthy Eating Incentives Could Set Industry Trend

“In the sea of nearly identical programs, grocers are racing to keep up by adding perks such as free delivery or bigger buy-one-get-one savings,” Upside’s Thomas Weinandy said in a blog post.

More Cheese, Please: 2024 Cheese Insights

People eat cheese for all sorts of reasons; this year, however, taste and health were the primary ones as 33% of consumers around the world considered it a necessary staple in their diets.

Analysis: Ozempic Likely to Impact Snack Manufacturers’ Bottom Line

The recent rise of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs started with blowout results that drove shares of their manufacturers higher, then wound up cascading across seemingly disparate sectors. In 2023, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of …

Prominent Doctor Fears Impact of TikTok Diet Trends

Americans are getting away from healthy habits like meal prepping and perusing produce aisles. Instead, many consumers opt for quicker, more convenient food that often include preservatives and copious amounts of sugar or oils.

Stories of the Year: Plant Enzymes Can Turn Sugar to Fiber

Harvard University’s Wyss Institute, in a study funded by the Kraft-Heinz Co., found sugar exposed to encapsulated plant enzymes in the gut can be turned into fiber.

A Hallmark Movie, but Make it Shoppable: Walmart’s Add to Heart

Airing on three platforms (YouTube, Roku, and the pocket-laden TikTok) and also playing in stores, Add to Heart is nothing if not a bold step into the media-laden retail environment increasingly influenced by in-store retail media networks.

The Future of Food: Health, Wellness, and the Trillion-Dollar Opportunity

The global health and wellness food market was $940 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a 5% CAGR, hitting $1.47 trillion in 2027.

2024 Tech & Digital Trends in Restaurant & Retail, Part 3: The Loyalty-free Consumer

Monolithic allegiance has given way to the brands and companies that can provide the best, most convenient, and value-driven experiences, making every consumer a seven-headed hydra.

Organic Growth Continues, Even Amidst Inflation

The quarterly percentage of American adults who say they purchase organic food regularly (or, “every chance I get,”) is up two percentage points since the first quarter of 2021, reaching 12%.