Whole Foods reveals the new food trends that will be popular in 2019

In the world of food, trends are often short-lived - with poke and acai bowls seemingly already on their way out.

Fortunately, new trends are always there to replace their passé counterparts.

In the coming year, people can expect to indulge on hemp and faux meat, according to supermarket Whole Foods, which has just released its predictions for 2019 food trends.

While the predictions are not concrete, they have been compiled by a team of global buyers and experts with more than 100 combined years in “product sourcing, studying consumer preferences and participating in food and wellness industry exhibits” - and they represent a growing awareness of the types of foods we are putting into our bodies and the environment.

These are the 10 upcoming trends of 2019.

According to the organic-focused supermarket, 2019 will be inspired by flavours from “Asia, Oceania and the western coasts of North and South America.”

As people become more willing to try new foods and flavours, Whole Foods predicts ingredients such as cuttlefish and shrimp paste will be popping up more frequently.

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Fruit will also be revitalised - with apples and bananas replaced with “vibrant tropical fruits” such as guava, passion fruit and dragon fruit, in smoothies and in cocktails.

The supermarket also suspects jackfruit, a popular vegan meat alternative that resembles pulled pork, will become more mainstream.

While not exactly a food, the supermarket predicts that “shelf-stable” probiotics will be huge in 2019.

Currently, most probiotics require refrigeration to remain effective - but that won’t be the case for long as strains “such as Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 and Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856” make their way into granola, oatmeal, soups, nut butters and nutrition bars.

People should also expect to find the unlikely additive in household products, according to the supermarket, with beauty brands and cleaning products utilising the stable versions of both pre-and-probiotics.

Long considered the downfall of diets, fats are officially “in” again - in part due to the rising popularity of keto and paleo diets.

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The supermarket predicts foods such as popcorn made with grass-fed ghee will be flying off shelves - as well as other fat-filled snacks such as “chicken chips and thin, cripsed beef jerky.”

This trend has already taken hold but Whole Foods expects it will grow even more popular come 2019 - with brands looking to explore the potential benefits of hemp plants.

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Apart from CBD, which is still prohibited in food, body care, and dietary supplements despite its widespread use, “hemp plant stem cells” and “non-cannabis derived sources” like phytocannabinoids are expected to become more mainstream.

Plant-based foods aren’t a new phenomenon considering how prevalent veganism is in 2018 - however, Whole Foods suspects brands will continue replicating the taste of meat with non-meat foods.

The key ingredient, according to the store’s predictions, will be mushrooms - especially ones like king trumpet, which can stand-in as a replacement for meat in foods such as jerky, “pork” rinds, and “bacon.”

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With plastic straws officially the enemy of the people - rightfully so - other brands have been considering how their products affect the environment and making changes.

In addition to “flexible product pouches,” the supermarket expects people will see an emphasis on reusing and “BYOVB” - bring your own vegetable bag.

Single-use products will also become multi-use as brands look at packaging alternatives such as beeswax, waxed canvas or silicone.

“Some movements start as trends, then become necessities,” the store said in the press release. “This is one of them.”

Forget vanilla or chocolate - as the newest ice cream flavours will be much more unique, and hopefully delicious.

In addition to bases like “avocado, hummus, tahini and coconut water,” the supermarket predicts the rise in ice creams “with savory swirls of artisanal cheese” will only increase as more people catch on.

The flavours and new techniques have been inspired by global influences such as Thai rolled ice cream and Turkish stretchy ice cream.

And booze-filled popsicles will continue to be a popular warm-weather treat.

Seaweed has been replaced by kelp and algae as the popular oceanic snack - so don’t expect to snack on dried seaweed as often.

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Rather, Whole Foods predicts “puffed snacks made from water lily seeds,” plant-based tuna alternatives, crispy salmon skins, and kelp jerkies will all be having their moment on the shelves.

Snacks in general will receive an upgrade to fancier versions - with charcuterie or cheese boards for one set to become the norm.

Childhood snacks of the past will also return as new-and-improved versions as Whole Foods predicts variations such as portable snack packages of cheese and crackers and gluten-free puffed rice treats.

Ongoing from the past year’s emphasis on transparency, consumers will continue to have high expectations from the brands and businesses they choose to support.

In addition to the environment, shoppers will consider animal welfare and inclusion as they purchase - meaning a brand must prove they are about much more than the products they make.

“Contributing towards social movements via purchasing goods and services with missions you believe in can make for big changes that extend far beyond the world of retail,” Whole Foods said in the press release.