Fresh Thyme Market Highlights Top Food Trends To Watch
Consumers may be making initial purchases and preparations for the coming holiday season, but Fresh Thyme Market is looking toward the New Year.
The specialty grocer has released its second annual Food Trends Predictions, highlighting 10 things that will be worth watching in the year ahead. The report is a collaboration with the leading retail data and intelligence provider SPINS.
"At Fresh Thyme Market, we believe creating a phenomenal experience for our shoppers and team members begins long before they walk through our doors," said Liz Zolcak, president of Fresh Thyme Market. "Our annual trends report helps us not only understand the needs of our shoppers but ensures we're exciting them by curating our shelves with the most fresh, innovative, and local products. Our shoppers are savvy, so it's important they know innovation is at our core and we can help them discover new products."
Fresh Thyme Market's top 10 grocery trend predictions for 2025 include:
- Functional Ingredients: Consumers want more than just basic nutrition from their diets and will be seeking out products that incorporate functional ingredients – ingredients that provide more targeted and specific health benefits – like colostrum for its immune-boosting properties or probiotic cultures for better gut health.
- Evolution of the Mushroom: Adaptogenic mushrooms – which may help the body manage stress, anxiety and fatigue include varieties like Chaga, Lion's Mane and Turkey Tail – will start to gain momentum. Expect to see more mushroom-based products in everyday pantry staples like pasta, broth and coffee, allowing consumers to effortlessly add its anti-inflammatory and sleep aid properties to their diets.
- Rise of Non-Alcoholic, Mood-Enhancing Beverages (Part II): Non-alcoholic beverages will become even more sophisticated as a way to cater to an array of holistic needs. For example, a spike in drinks made with plant-based and mineral ingredients such as kava and magnesium because of their mood-enhancing benefits are expected. Beverages that contain multiple cannabinoids like CBD will also be trending thanks to their popularity in social settings.
- Spicy Foods Takeover: Consumers are demanding more complex flavor profiles and will be bringing on the heat through expanded use of more fresh and dried chilis like ghost chilies, Chilis De Arbol and jalapenos. Keep an eye out for more hot sauce varieties too – anything with Pepper X is not for the faint of heart.
- Mango-Everything (and Everywhere): Mangos are finally getting their time in the spotlight with mango-flavored products showing up in everything from drinks to snacks, and for good reason. According to Meghan Sedivy, Fresh Thyme Market's registered dietitian, mangoes are a "nutritional powerhouse" packed with vitamin C to help support the immune system and are great for adding sweetness and a creamy texture to foods.
- Nature's Natural Sweeteners: Natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and dates will become more prevalent in 2025 as consumers continue to look for ways to limit their refined and processed sugar intake.
- Boosting Brain Power: Improved cognitive function will be on everyone's minds with supplements such as ginkgo biloba, magnesium, and GABA on the rise. These ingredients are known to enhance mental clarity and focus.
- We're heading to Seoul: The rising popularity of Korean BBQ in recent years will pave the way for other Korean ingredients such as gochujang and kimchi popping up in even more kitchens. This growing trend reflects consumers' desires to incorporate more bold, global flavors into their everyday cooking.
- Next-Gen Sustainability: Grains and produce grown using Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), like greenhouse farming and other next-gen practices, that have significantly less impact on the environment will have shoppers buzzing, as they should! These items will see explosive growth in the new year not only because they're just as delicious as conventionally produced items, but they're more sustainable too.
- Prioritizing Protein: While Fresh Thyme is known for its fresh protein sources such as quality meat and seafood, protein will be breaking out into new categories in 2025. Shoppers will be flocking to more protein-boosted options when it comes to everything from cereals, oatmeal, pasta, pasta sauce, and even flavor-bursting queso and jalapeno turkey burgers for added fuel and nutrition.
