You’ve ditched your skinny jeans. You no longer covet an open floor plan. And your summer was decidedly neon green. In all aspects of life—and culture—trends shape the way we behave and what we want to consume.
The food world is no different. With each new year or season, different foods and preparations make a splash. For restaurant chefs, the ability to stay ahead of what’s trending might very well help keep the lights on. And for home cooks, participating in the larger food world by cooking trending dishes not only keeps things exciting—it also connects you with your fellow food lovers.
That’s where Future Menus 2024 Trend Report by Unilever Food Solutions comes in. Drawing on the expertise of 250 in-house Unilever Food Solutions chefs, the report leverages insights from more than 1,600 food service professionals across 21 markets to predict what will be big in the coming year. We got a peek at the 2024 edition, and were delighted at a few trends in particular that lend themselves well to home cooking: modernized comfort food, low-waste menus, and irresistible vegetables. Let’s dig in.
First up: modernized comfort food, aka the idea that comfort food can evolve from dishes that feel familiar and safe, like mac and cheese, to new, fresh, foods that represent a chef’s heritage and still evoke warmth. That may even include re-discovering old traditions—for example, finding new ways to use ancient grains like spelt, or enjoying mead instead of cider. Whatever the ingredients, the ethos is comfort, re-imagined.
Next on the list is low-waste menus. As costs rise, chefs are getting resourceful and finding creative ways to use meat and produce to the fullest. While the concept is certainly sustainable, that’s not always the primary goal—instead, it’s about maximizing the potential of every ingredient. As Brandon Collins, Executive Chef for UFS North America, puts it: “Anything that you don’t throw into the bin is going to translate to dollars on the plate.” And while you may not be running a Michelin star kitchen at home, this is still a trend worth trying — after all, finding fun ways to use every last bit of your weekly veggie haul will help your bottom line, too.
Which brings us to our last trend: irresistible vegetables, or putting fresh, colorful veggies front and center. Diners are expecting nutritious, nourishing dishes that are also vibrant and picturesque (read: look great on a grid), and veggie-centric menu items are an easy way to deliver on that. We love that some of the long shelf-life, low price point veggies—think butternut squash and cabbage—are finally getting their moments as mains.
To help you capture the feeling of eating at an on-trend restaurant at home, we’ve rounded up our favorite recipes in each category. Order up.
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