The Top 10 Trends in Healthful Eating in 2024

The once time has had some noteworthy food moments. Who could forget girl regale, impunity-boosting heartiness shots, and cabin rubbish and pickles in absolutely everything? Now, however, we can look forward to what instigative new culinary inventions lie ahead.

Numerous of those inventions take their cue from ongoing exploration that highlights the part food and nutrition play in the threat of developing habitual conditions, and how diet impacts day-to-day functioning, energy situations, and even mood and internal health. Experts prognosticate that there will be a continued emphasis on new and better factory-grounded foods, as well as those that nurture our guts with pre-, pro-, and post-biotics.

To discuss these and other arising trends, we consulted Kelly Kennedy, RDN, staff dietitian for Everyday Health, Sammi Brondo, RD, a dietitian grounded in New York City, Lauren Twigge, RD, Diana Wind, RD, a nutritionist at Inspira Health, and Lauren Twigge Nutrition’s owner. Then, they share their studies on the most important healthy food trends we’re likely to see in 2024.

1. Provident Eats

Food prices have begun to pump the thickets, but they’re still not what they used to be. There’s a tableware filling for home culinarians, still. According to U.S. data, a 1.2 percent increase in all food prices is anticipated in 2024. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but while eating down from home costs are anticipated to rise nearly 5 percent, the price of eating at home is anticipated to actually fall slightly.
“To keep their spending under control, many people—particularly those with larger families—will need to search for reasonably priced choices, Kennedy adds. “I surely suppose people are going to be watching where they place their food bones more nearly.” Affordable protein sources, like tinned fish, canned sap, and legumes, could remain popular, while more precious cuts of meat may secure their place in the aft seat.

2. Further Protein, Lower Meat

On that note, in 2023, factory-grounded meat options were all the rage. A time later, consumers won’t need the disguises of a faux burger or link to continue embracing nonmeat protein sources. “The protein trend is here to stay in 2024, but I think shoppers are increasingly looking beyond the meat aisle, or even the factory-grounded meat aisle,” says Brondo. Rather, they’ll be reaching for whole food sources like eggs, tofu, cabin rubbish, sap, and even chuck to meet their protein pretensions, she adds. For many, this addresses two enterprises: those of beast and environmental ethics, and those of saving money. (According to a report from Gro Intelligence, beef prices are anticipated to reach new records in 2024, and chicken prices will remain unpredictable.)

Whole Food Markets’ 2024 Trend Report corroborates Brondo on this, adding that simple, protein-forward products with mushrooms, walnuts, tempeh, and legumes are anticipated to steal the limelight over complex meat druthers with a laundry list of constituents. This trend falls in line with the growth we’ve already seen in the factory-grounded diet arena, and the smash is anticipated to continue—in fact, a Research and Markets report says the factory-grounded food market is projected to exceed $75 billion by 2028, up from $41 billion in 2022.

3. Factory-Grounded Seafood

What started as toes dipped in the factory-grounded seafood pond via veggie sushi rolls and the suchlike is getting a full-on submersion thanks to the drum fish trend that caught in 2023. In response, factory-grounded packaged food brands are bringing submissive and vegan consumers their own versions of the salty snack in the form of carrots as lox, trumpet mushrooms seasoned as scallops, and the root vegetable konjac in sushi rolls and poke bowls, per Whole Foods Market.

4. Eco-Conscious Drinking

Beginning in 2023, there will be a continued emphasis on sustainable water supply and a desire to reduce food waste in favor of environmental preservation. According to Whole Foods Market, new water brands are using water from fruit derivations that would otherwise be discarded. A new Regenerative Organic Certification also requires soil health enterprise that will help conserve water. Also, nongovernmental organizations are showing their support of farmed oysters to allow for both the natural filtration of water by monoculture and the restoration of littoral ecosystems.

Food waste has come under further scrutiny in recent times, but it is still a big issue, with more than one-third of the U.S. food force going to tips or compost stacks, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the past, meal planning has helped families manage household waste, Kennedy says, but now, manufacturers are also diving into the problem.

5. Functional Foods

Still, you’re in luck — there’s plenty of time to jump on the trend. If you haven’t yet paid overhead of $10 for an immunity-boosting juice shot at your original smoothie shop, the U.S. market for functional foods is anticipated to grow nearly 9 percent from 2022 to 2030, according to an industry report, and Twigge says 2024 will be their biggest year yet.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines a functional food as “a foodstuff that provides a health benefit beyond introductory nutrition, demonstrating specific health or medical benefits, including the prevention and treatment of diseases.”

Expanding on that notion, Twigge notes that fewer people are using food as a narcotic. Indeed, the importance of this information is becoming so clear that the White House recently created the Food as Medicine Initiative with the goal of lowering nutrition-related conditions and food instability with the aim to improve health and ethnic equity, ” she explains. Not to mention, the popularity of Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, a 2023 Netflix docu-series about global diets, traditions, and practices for life, has sparked a heightened interest in the content. Chocolate with chamomile and valerian added for possibly better sleep, or milk and nuts with magnesium for muscular relaxation, are some other examples of functional meals, according to Twigge. There are also numerous foods fortified with probiotics and fiber for gut health, but don’t feel like you have to seek out frilly packaging with big promises to cash in on the power of nutrition. “Great examples of the effects of some nutrients include probiotics (found in fermented or pickled foods), fiber (found in grains), and antioxidants (found in citrus fruits) to look for when choosing functional foods,” Twigge says, “as these nutrients have been well-proven to support health and reduce the threat for diseases.”

6. Choline

“Vitamin D, magnesium, and collagen have all had their time in the limelight, and next year I think it’ll be time for choline to shine,” says Brondo. Choline is a nutrient needed by the brain and nervous system for mood regulation, memory, and muscle control, per the National Institutes of Health. Also, it helps form the membranes around the body’s cells, and although the liver produces a small amount, most choline is absorbed via food sources like beef, chicken, eggs, and broccoli, says Brondo. It’s also available in supplement form.

Choline is especially important during pregnancy, according to Brondo, because it supports normal brain and spinal cord development. The importance of it is finally beginning to receive greater recognition. Most people don’t receive enough of this mineral, and prenatal pills don’t always contain it. Therefore, make sure your prenatal supplement contains choline and stock up on foods high in choline.

7. Food for Your Gut

People are interested in minding for their gut health, even though there are still a lot of questions around which foods are best and whether to take supplements. As the link between gut health and whole body health is recognized, interest in gut health will only increase in the future. says Twigge. “Indeed, research indicates that a healthy gut microbiota might improve more than just digestive health; it can also improve mood, sleep, brain function, and the ability to cope with illnesses.”
Probiotics — which include yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented crapola, tempeh, miso, pickled vegetables, and even drinks like kombucha — have always been the leader on people’s gut-loving food lists. Still, Twigge stresses that fiber-rich prebiotics are just as important for maintaining a healthy microbiome, which is why she predicts they’ll be the niche’s rising star in 2024.
Twigge claims that prebiotics, a type of fiber present in plant foods, can support a healthy gut flora and act as nourishment for probiotics. Bananas, blueberries, artichokes, muesli, spinach, and onions are just a few of the foods that contain them, she continues. As with most nutrients, your best bet is to vary your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” she continues, just to make sure you don’t run into any nutritional gaps. “I think we will continue to see prebiotics and probiotics added to more and more foods in the coming time to make it easier for people to reach for gut health-promoting foods,” she says.

8. No Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners

The time may have ultimately come for the necessary sweetener empire to see its downfall. With the recent release of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s assessment of aspartame’s health risks, particularly it being a potential carcinogen, people are reigning in their pink and pusillanimous packet consumption — even Diet Coke lovers are throwing in the barrels. Of course,

real sugar is off the table, too, for its own potential troubles, so the best remaining options are to prioritize natural sweeteners (date syrup, for example) or lose sweetness altogether in favor of other tantalizing tastes that pose less of a concern.

According to predictions from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the new “it-girls” of flavors are likely to be bold, bitter, savory, sour, or a combination of them all in the form of treats like vegetable-forward combinations and earthy spice mixes.

9. Elevated Spice Situations

Speaking of spice, the heat-tolerant section of our taste buds are in for a rude awakening this year. “We’ve already seen this trend slowly growing with the increase of junk food chips in hot, salty flavors and eye-catching packaging targeting youth,” says Wind. “Hopefully, big companies will turn some of their magical flavor combinations into healthier chow.”
According to IFT, spicy, fiery options will be among the bold flavor trends to replace sweetness on menus as well.

10. Multicultural Reflections

After a few years of DoorDashing the same three comfort meals during bouts of stress, people have a craving for new and different dishes, per IFT — specifically those that combine elements of various cuisines. IFT calls it “third culture cuisine,” the fantastic flavors of which tie in nicely with the aforementioned bold palate adventure. Some samples of these foods which you might spot on café menus, if you haven’t already, include birria ramen, boba ice cream, and Japanese guacamole, among others.

The Takeaway

Food trends in 2024 are anticipated to prioritize more plant-based proteins and affordable meals. Innovations like plant-based seafood and functional foods are also coming into the spotlight, reflecting a focus on health and sustainability. Spicy flavors may also start to gain popularity in health foods as they have in potato chips and other junk foods.

Brain-healthy supplements like choline and gut-nourishing prebiotics and probiotics will continue to become more accessible, and the use of sugar and artificial sweeteners is also declining. Food options that combine meals and methods from different cultures are also on the rise.