Dive Brief:
- Popular social media site Pinterest released its top 10 pinned food trends for 2017, according to the Huffington Post.
- Among Pinterest’s predictions for top foods are jackfruit, vegetable chips, sauerkraut, empanadas and octopus. Grapeseed oil is also expected to be a big trend, as it’s less expensive than olive oil and has a higher smoke point.
- When it comes to beverages, Pinterest predicts 2017 will be the year of the sour beer, which works well with many of the foods people enjoy during warmer months.
Dive Insight:
Jackfruit was named by Pinterest as the No. 1 food people will be sampling in 2017, with a 420% increased interest in the fruit among the social media platform’s users. This is largely from the growing vegetarian and vegan community, which views the product as a convincing meat substitute.
According to the Vegetarianism in America study published by the Vegetarian Times, 3.2% of U.S. adults follow a vegetarian-based diet and approximately 0.5% are vegans. The number of people on these diets has been rising each year, so food manufacturers have made more foods catering to this demographic. So, it’s no surprise that vegetable chips, a plant-based Buddha bowl (typically made with quinoa, avocados, sweet potatoes and grilled vegetables) and sauerkraut are on Pinterest’s list as well.
While Pinterest’s list definitely reflects what some consumers are interested in, it's worth remembering that 34% of the 110 million active Pinterest users are between the ages of 18-29. Many more are under 45. Baby boomers and older generations tend to be less adventurous and aren’t as willing to change their eating habits or try new things.
The best way for manufacturers to take advantage of these food trends is utilize recipes for these trendy ingredients that include their products, or try new products utilizing trends that have more staying power. Retailers can find success with tastings and cross merchandising the food with higher-end products.