Food Trends United States 2025

Whole Foods Market creates a list every year of the trends that will shape the American food sector: what will be the next Food & Beverage trends?

Growing in the US market: snacks, high-protein foods, and unique beverages

According to Whole Foods, the supermarket chain that annually publishes its forecasts on Food and Beverage trends, the keywords for 2025 in the USA will be sustainability, health, and nutrition. These trends align with the trajectory followed by the sector in recent years, except that the extreme competition in the American market means that companies and brands always manage to propose ideas that surpass the previous ones.

Whole Foods caters to a health-conscious consumer base, and this year the food trend report focuses on increasing protein content in the products we put in our cart, on innovative ingredients from the plant-based niche, and on the spread of hydrating beverages. Let's examine them.

1) Snacks from around the world

Snacking has been a trend in the food sector for years. The credit goes to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who have introduced new eating habits, creating fertile ground for the development of many innovative food brands.

The snack aisle has grown well beyond chips, crackers, and cookies. Supermarkets are popping up with flavors capable of transporting consumers worldwide through a mix of traditional foreign snacks and new combinations like mango rice chips, smoked salmon bites, or black truffle and masala-flavored popcorn.

2) Ravioli

In America, store-bought ravioli have come a long way, partly thanks to brands offering frozen ravioli that rival those eaten in restaurants.

Whole Foods expects to see more and more ravioli brands in the refrigerators and non-perishable food aisles, not only of Asian inspiration but also hybrids like pizza-bao and Mexican tamales stuffed with green sauce and beans.

3) Crunchy foods

If the year could be summed up in one texture, it would be crunchiness. 2025 will be the ideal year to sell foods that have crunchiness as an added value: granola, crispy cereals and legumes, mushroom chips, freeze-dried fruit, and salad dressings are just some examples of successful products to launch in the American market.

This texture can also be seen in beverages like the Espresso Martini Crème Brûlée, a cross between a cocktail and a dessert.

4) Hydration and supplementation

We've seen it in cosmetics and dietary supplements; now it's the turn of snacks and beverages, and it's impossible to ignore the trend at industry fairs in the United States, where you can find electrolyte popsicles, sparkling coconut water, chlorophyll water, and even protein water.

With the increase in bottled water consumption, Americans' expectations for their drinks have also risen. This has led to the emergence of a powerful and trendy product category that sits at the crossroads of water, sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks, resulting in brands like Waterdrop, Electrolit, and BodyArmor Flash I.V.

5) Tea and accompaniments

The tea category is experiencing a golden moment: tea is being talked about everywhere, both as a flavor for desserts and granola, and for its varieties (especially chai, earl gray, and London fog) and new infusion formats, as well as a wave of trendy new products like sparkling tea.

The tea boom has led to the boom of adult tea parties, where not only infused beverages are served but also flavored accompaniments, from ice cream to mochi. According to Whole Foods, tea parties are set to replace happy hour among those consumers seeking a nutritional benefit in the beverages they purchase.

6) Compostability

Food & Beverage brands in the USA are not only making their products sustainable, but also their packaging. Packaging is heading towards compostable options, making some or all elements of their packaging compostable at home. Compostability is a trend that lends itself well to those selling packaged products like coffee, snacks, and sweets, but there are also brands innovating the sector with products like organic cling film, which can decompose in home compost bins.

7) Eco-drinks

Sustainability is a powerful purchasing driver. By 2025, beverage brands are expected to adopt further regenerative practices, low-impact packaging, and ingredients grown more sustainably or even drought-resistant. The Sustainable Wine Roundtable, for example, aims to reduce bottle weight by 25% by 2026.

8) Sourdough

Sourdough has been among American consumers' favorites since at least 2020 when lockdowns forced people to cook more often at home. Four years later, the trend has taken hold in supermarkets in both traditional and innovative formats: pizza bases, focaccia, brownies, crackers, chocolate, and more, with customers seeking the benefits and flavor sourdough offers without spending hours in the kitchen.

9) Plant-based aquatic ingredients

“With the ongoing popularity of seaweed and the growing interest in harvesting easily accessible aquatic plants for more sustainable protein and nutrient sources, the trend is moving towards foods made with more sea and freshwater vegetables", says Whole Foods. Sea moss is going viral on social media as a “healthy” ingredient. Duckweed, or water lentils, is also starting to spread as it has a higher protein content than other leafy greens. Finally, there's agar-agar, a plant-based gelatin alternative derived from red algae, mainly composed of fiber and used in foods for its gut health benefits.

10) Protein boost

Americans want to consume more protein during meals, especially animal proteins like offal. These are being promoted as a superfood suitable for those also seeking vitamins and minerals, and brands combine them with traditional meat to allow consumers to enjoy their nutritional benefits without having to learn how to cook liver, kidneys, or heart.