Restaurant consultant group Baum + Whiteman has released its top food trends for 2016, and the number one spot didn’t go to one particular meal. Instead, the top trend revolves around how we get our meals.
Delivery services like uberEATS and Grub Hub will become the top food trend of 2016, according to Baum + Whiteman. One factor speeding up the delivery “revolution” is our smartphones.
Starbucks has started to rollout delivery service in New York City’s Empire State Building. Chipotle has also begun delivering in several cities, including Chicago, using the delivery service Postmates.
Coming in second on the top food trends in 2016, clean menus. The report cited a recent survey about concerns over the ingredients in foods. Thirty-six percent of participants said they worry about chemicals in their food, Baum + Whiteman found.
Several big name restaurants have changed their recipes to meet the demand for healthier options. McDonald’s announced earlier this year it would stop treating chickens with human antibiotics. Panera has also promised to end its use of 150 artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives by the end of next year, according to the report.
With the upcoming New Year, some of us may being saying “ciao” to pasta. The possible decline of pasta came in third place on the 2016 food trends list. The carb-o-licious dish has seen a drop in sales over the last five years, according to Baum + Whiteman. In the U.S., pasta sales have slumped 6 percent. The report associated the decrease to more Americans wanting pasta made from vegetables, like zucchini and asparagus.
Other top food trends picked by Baum + Whiteman include the demise of tipping, and the rise of acai bowls. Check out the full list below:
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1. Food delivery services
2. Clean menus
3. Cutting down pasta intake
4. Vegetables
5. No tipping
6. Poke (pronounced poke-ay or poh-key), a Hawaiian dish
7. Modern take on Jewish cuisine
8. Acai bowls
9. Fried chicken
10. Spices