We Looked into Our Crystal Ball: These Are the 5 Biggest Food Trends of 2020

Out with the old (oat milk) and in with the bright, shiny and new. We’re saying goodbye to 2019 and hello to these five exciting food trends—from sustainable meat to sparkling wine—which we’re predicting will be sizzling in 2020.

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Save the Planet, One Meal at a Time

You’ve parted ways with plastic straws, you bring your own cup to your coffee shop and in 2020, you’ll probably be swapping your sirloin for a steak made of mushrooms. According to Whole Foods, meat-plant blends (like the Blended Burger Project) and lower-carbon farming are on the rise. We’re already figuring out new ways to channel Greta Thunberg in the kitchen, starting with ditching plastic wrap.

Home Cooking Is Cool, Thanks to A New Batch of YouTube Stars

If the meteoric rise of the Bon Appétit YouTube channel tells us anything, it’s cooler than ever to cook at home—even if your prior repertoire only included scrambled eggs. In the coming year, we’re predicting that even the novice culinarians (like your coworker who says she only ever eats takeout) will be raving about the amazing stew they made last night and crowning Claire Saffitz as their new Ina Garten.

Fancy French Desserts at Home? Très Chic

Oh, 2019, we loved your rustic homemade treats (we’re looking at you, chocolate chip cake), but this year, we’re taking a trip to France and whipping up classic, restaurant-level French desserts like pots de crème and tarte tatin in our own kitchen. Don’t worry, though: They’re as low-key as they are sophisticated, and they’re as easy to make as, well, pie.

Don’t Call It a Dinner Party…But Do Play the Host

If you’re cooking something delicious at home, you might as well invite your friends to share. That’s the mindset we’re taking into 2020, and we’re not alone. Alison Roman’s new opus, Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over, is already a New York Times best seller, and it’s a lesson in the art of having people over without going over the top (think easy dishes that are tasty but not time-consuming). Channel Ina Garten: Store-bought is fine.

The Less Booze, the Better

Spiked seltzer. Session beers. Mocktails. The future is here and it’s…highly drinkable. We expect the lower ABV and booze-free beverages that caught steam in 2019 to carry over to 2020 in a major way, whether that’s in the form of wellness cocktails crafted from adaptogens and botanicals, or low-alcohol wines like sparkling pét-nats, piquettes (extremely low-alcohol, wine-like spritzers) and those light, refreshing chilled reds we already know and love.

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