Foodie Fashions

Each year, we witness new food trends being introduced, with many soon disappearing after a few weeks of Instagram hype. However, 2018 was a huge year for food trends, with many foodie fashions that seem to have stuck around. Read on to check out the popular food trends that everyone is still raving about in 2019.

Avocado

Trends come and go, but the avocado craze is set to stay for 2019. Avocados are everywhere, with everything from avo toast to avocado ice cream available. Many avocado aficionados are obsessed with the delicious and nutritious fruit (yes, it is actually a fruit, not a vegetable).

The health benefits of avocados seem to be bombarding the internet – with discussion of the healthy fats that can help with blood sugar and heart health. As a result, avocados are eaten by many, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, in smoothies, salads, or even on toast.

Avocados are a favourite of mine, and I absolutely love smashed avocado on toast, with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes.

Acai Bowls

Acai Bowls are one of 2018’s most famous food trends – a healthy smoothie bowl, topped with fruits, oats and seeds. Many are happily spending £10 on an acai bowl for breakfast – the vibrant colours are aesthetically pleasing and have been a huge hit over social media.

I haven’t actually got round to trying one yet but I’ve heard lots of people rating them so I might have to bite the bullet and pay up.

Buddha Bowls

Buddha Bowls have actually been around for a couple of years now, and I can’t see them disappearing anytime soon. Versatile, vibrant and delicious – Buddha Bowls consist of grains, vegetables, protein, greens and seeds. Contents vary but most bowls can be suitable for vegetarians and vegans and have become increasingly popular as many of us become more health-conscious.

Coffee Art

Latte art is increasingly becoming the norm, with more and more coffee shops serving up leaf-design lattes or heart-topped cappuccinos. Instagram is full of intricate patterns and floating shapes staring back at us. Days of boring coffee are over – who doesn’t love a fancy coffee design?

Flavoured Milks

Although skimmed/semi-skimmed milk remain staples in many people’s fridges, we have witnessed a huge growth in alternative flavoured milks in the past few years. Not just for vegans or those that are lactose intolerant, but many people are now swapping ordinary milk for almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soya milk or even rice milk. If you’re ditching dairy, the growing dairy-free movement has meant that the market is full of delicious milk substitutes that are definitely worth trying.

Flavoured Popcorn

No longer is popcorn just a standard cinema snack. No longer does popcorn only come in two flavours – salt or sweet. Popcorn has rapidly expanded, with a huge selection of flavours available. Brands have also introduced popcorn as the new ‘healthy snack’ with Metcalfe’s and Propercorn introducing ‘skinny popcorn’ at around 100 calories a bag. Sweet flavours like chocolate or peanut butter popcorn, and the savoury sun-dried tomato and chilli popcorn are proving very popular.

Gourmet popcorn is also increasingly prominent – with prosecco or tequila flavoured popcorn beloved by many.

Freak Shakes

Although a lot of recent popular food trends are leaning towards healthy lifestyles, the stand-out trend has to be the monstrous freakshake. The high-calorie mega milkshakes proved very popular in 2018 and I can't see them disappearing from dessert menus anytime soon. Combining ice cream, chocolate bars and some with an entire doughnut or whole slice of cake on the top, it’s no surprise that these Insta-worthy shakes have got people talking, as well as their mouths watering.

Green Tea

Tea seems to be more popular than ever before, with supermarket shelves stacked full of exotic flavours. Green tea has been a craze for a few years now, with many relying on the drink for its supposed health benefits.

I won’t lie, at first I wasn't a massive fan of green tea. But after hearing about its antioxidants and nutrients that can help brain function, weight loss and a number of other things, I decided to keep trying it. And now I love it! It’s fresh tasting and refreshing.

Not a major fan? Why not try green tea and jasmine or green tea with lemon. These delicious teas are packed with potassium, magnesium and vitamins and can be found in all supermarkets.

Ice Cream

After hearing that a tub of Ben and Jerry’s can contain over 1,000 calories depending on the flavour, a variety of low-calorie options like Halo Top, Breyers and Alpro have become increasingly popular. Ben and Jerry’s have also jumped on the band wagon and introduced ‘light’ and dairy-free ranges. And with flavours like rainbow swirl, oatmeal cookie, birthday cake and pancakes & waffles, it's no surprise everyone is loving it. Long are the days of boring vanilla…

Instagramable Eats

For many millenials, meals out aren’t meals out if they don’t take a photo of their food. Instagram is full of foodies posting their dinners (including me), praising restaurants and suggesting recommendations. Because of this, more and more restaurants are serving aesthetically pleasing, picture perfect, Insta-worthy foods. Bright colours and neat presentation of beautiful brunches, delightful doughnuts and marvellous milkshakes now swarm Instagram on a daily basis.

Spreads

Long are the days of standard peanut butter. Almond butter, cashew butter and many more now dress the shelves of supermarkets. There are many new natural versions available that don’t use added sugars, with brands like Meridian and Whole Earth becoming supermarket staples.

Not only have we seen an emergence of nut spreads, there is also a wide variety of sweet spreads that have emerged in our supermarkets. Although Nutella remains a staple favourite, Lotus Biscuit spread, white chocolate spread, Maltesers spread and M&M chocolate spread have also proven popular.

Thai-Rolled Ice Cream

A trend that has become more and more popular – Thai-Rolled Ice Cream has led to queues of people lining up to try it. The trend is expanding to cities everywhere, with many major shopping outlets opening up stalls for people to taste the popular dessert. The tasty treat covered with delicious toppings is now a huge Instagram staple.

Vegetable carb substitutes

Days of white or brown pasta and rice are over. 2018 saw the emergence of an array of vegetable carb substitutes, with cauliflower and courgettes, often overlooked vegetables, becoming increasingly popular, attempting to replace rice and pasta. Cauliflower rice and courgetti are veggie-carb substitutes, that many restaurants are now putting on their menus to satisfy the health-conscious.

Quinoa has also become really popular, with many opting for this high-protein, wheat-free alternative.

Vegetarianism and Veganism

A lot of the above trends are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, emphasising the increased popularity of Vegetarianism and Veganism, that have spiralled over the last couple of years, with more and more people ditching meat products and opting for healthier plant based options.

People are becoming more conscious about the environment and their health and consequently, vegan food has become far more common and accessible. The days of simple meat substitutes are long gone, with a variety of companies offering new, delicious, innovative faux meat substitutes – vegetarian pulled pork and fake steaks that are proving incredibly popular.