Written By: Olga Goumas; SLU Dietetic Intern
Food trends strike us every year, and we see them go viral on social media such as Tik Tok and Instagram. Many of us might be familiar with the pink sauce, butter boards, and baked oats that took over our pages over the past year. With the new year comes new trends, right? Comfort foods are rumored to be one of the top food trends of 2023. While they are listed as a "new" trend, they are nothing new to us. Comfort foods provide nostalgia or sentimental for someone. These can be childhood favorites, foods from a particular time, or something that makes you feel good after eating. We all have that one that comes to mind.
Food trends seem sudden; one day, it's unheard of, and the next, it's groundbreaking news, so how do we anticipate a trend like comfort food? A food characteristic that has been around for everyone, it's not new! Let's take a deeper look into this.
Who Predicted This?
Several outlets have their own lists of predicted food trends for 2023. The content and rankings vary, but comfort foods consistently made the top 10. This variance is expected since it is a prediction, so these sources make their best-educated guess based on previous consumer trends. The most credible forecast comes from the National Restaurant Association (NRA). The NRA partnered with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and Technomic to conduct the 17th annual What's Hot survey. More than 500 professionals from the ACF and chefs associated with these programs gave their input on the menu trends for 2023. Listed #2 on their "macro trends," or significant shifts in consumer behavior, is comfort foods, and #4 on their "hot trends for 2023." From the restaurant, food, and beverage market research of 2023, comfort foods were ranked as #3 for 2023 culinary trends.
How Did This Manifest?
As post-pandemic life emerges, and ambiguities are still high, people look for comfort as they visit restaurants or bond with others over food. Reflecting on previous years also results in longing for nostalgia, which could mean consumers making their own interpretations or revisiting food spots. A survey by Farm Rich from 2020 found that 69% of respondents said they consume more comfort food and will continue to consume the same amount post-pandemic. Stresses are still high from the pandemic, and Americans have flocked to comfort foods, reports Forbes. Comfort food sales in the first two months of 2022 were higher than in the same 2019 period. This is reflective that consumers still desire a feel-good sensation from their foods post-pandemic, and their buying power shows it's from comfort foods.
What is Happening to Comfort Foods?
The NRA predicts that consumers will be interested in menus offering comfort foods but with a global or signature twist. So far, what has already been seen on Tik Tok and Instagram is that people are adding a twist to their favorite foods. They're elevating their comfort food favorites such as combining two favorites (i.e., buffalo chicken mac 'cheese) or incorporating globally inspired flavors (i.e., Thai chili wings, birria bao buns). The NRA also noted that "comfort foods and healthier items continue to trend in a classic face-off; consumers are loathe to part with either option." In 2022, it was noticed that consumers are balancing craved comfort foods with health-conscious options. Their meals' nutritional value has been improved by incorporating plant-based alternatives or lower fat/calorie substitutions into traditional recipes. People are enjoying the foundation of their favorite comfort foods but are adapting them and making them their own!
Everyone has a different take on comfort food, but it typically involves nostalgia and what is craved when stressed. Trends support that this widely anticipated trend will be apparent this year, but we will have to wait and see!
Sources:
2020: The Year of the comfort food comeback. Farm Rich. (2020, November 12). Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://farmrich.com/press-room/2020-the-year-of-the-comfort-food-comeback/
Miller , R. K., & Washington , K. (2022). Restaurant, Food & Beverage Market Research 2023. Richard K. Miller & Associates.
Sorvino, C. (2022, March 21). Covid-19 has pushed Americans back to grandma's kitchen, where Meatloaf, not beyond meat, is on the menu. Forbes. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2022/03/11/covid-19-has-pushed-americans-back-to-grandmas-kitchen-where-meatloaf-not-beyond-meat-is-on-the-menu/?sh=447de12a341f
What's Hot Culinary Forecast 2023. National Restaurant Association . (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://go.restaurant.org/rs/078-ZLA-461/images/Whats-Hot-Culinary-Trends-2023.pdf
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