Vegetarian

Is This the Least Surprising Food Trend of 2018?

November 27, 2017

New York City-based restaurant consultancy group, Baum + Whiteman, thinks it knows the biggest food trends of the upcoming year. And at the top of its list is something that might strike many of our readers as unsurprising, if not obvious. The company forecasts that plant-based eating will reach new heights in 2018.

Their prediction feels all too self-evident. But maybe that’s the point. As they note in their report, 31% of Americans refrain from eating meat on specific days while 35% get their protein from sources other than red meat. These statistics point not to an emerging trend, but perhaps something a little more culturally solidified. Baum + Whiteman—citing these statistics and the influx of plant-based products filling grocery stores—only anticipate increased interest in plant-based eating.

The report features other conjectures, like the increasing popularity of Filipino, Indian, and Korean cuisines, as well as a sustained interest in all things avocado. Overall, the list seems much less about unheard of trends, but more so about identifying those already on the rise. Either way, the research is exhaustive and full of examples. To see more of what they have to say, check out the report here.

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Also, if you're interested in learning more about plant-based diets, check out some of our favorite deep dives into the topic:

Will you partake in plant-based pandemonium or sit this one out? Let us know where you stand in the comments.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Collins
    Collins
  • BerryBaby
    BerryBaby
Valerio is a freelance food writer, editor, researcher and cook. He grew up in his parent's Italian restaurants covered in pizza flour and drinking a Shirley Temple a day. Since, he's worked as a cheesemonger in New York City and a paella instructor in Barcelona. He now lives in Berlin, Germany where he's most likely to be found eating shawarma.

2 Comments

Collins November 30, 2017
I'm vegetarian, leaning towards vegan - having a hard time giving up cheese. :-) and an occasional taste of bacon or salami. Going on ten years, this time.
Never felt better, even though I'm 76, and loving all the new recipes for veg's.
 
BerryBaby November 27, 2017
With all the farms nearby you can't help but eat farm fresh. For as long as I can remember I have eaten salad for lunch. Grew up in the midwest with a huge vegetable garden. More dinners than not were all fresh vegetables in the summer. All year round, our mom made a side salad for dinner everyday. So have pretty much grown up eating 'plants'.