Food trends are constantly shifting, due to everything from scientific developments and cultural influences.
By 2025, it’s evident that food and nutrition will become even more tailored and health-centric than ever.
But which trends will influence our diet (and health) in 2019?
To address that concern, we consulted leading dieticians and nutrition industry specialists who specialize in their area.
Here is everything you should know about the anticipated food and nutrition trends of 2025.
Food Trend 1: High-Fiber Diets
Are You Receiving Enough Fiber? If that is the case for you, know that it is certainly no one’s fault as only about five percent of American Adults meet their recommended daily fiber consumption (1) – however that could soon begin to change!
In 2024, according to the annual Food and Health Survey conducted by International Food Information Council (IFIC), 64% of respondents actively attempted to increase fiber consumption (2); over 90% targeted food as sources (2).
Reason Why It Will Trend:
Dr. Danielle Belardo of California and Scientific Advisor for MyFitnessPal has predicted high-fiber diets will continue to gain in popularity by 2025 and believes more individuals will prioritize fiber-rich meals over protein or fat sources.
Diets that contain high fiber levels include foods high in dietary fiber such as:
These foods support digestive health while contributing to overall well-being (3).
“Increasing evidence points out how high-fiber diets may lower cholesterol and risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers”, Belardo notes (20).
She states that with growing awareness, more individuals are turning their focus toward fiber as an avenue towards supporting long-term health benefits.
What You Should Know: For optimal health, Belardo suggests increasing fiber gradually over time to avoid uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
She suggests tracking your intake with MyFitnessPal’s app. If your daily fiber goals are being missed, gradually increase it by about 3 grams daily or every week depending on what works for your individual tolerance level.
Avoid fiber supplements altogether by including more high-fibre foods into each meal and snack.
Try starting off each day right with a high-fiber make-ahead breakfast like Chia Pudding; enjoy fiber-packed soup for lunch; and plan to include legumes, roasted vegetables or whole grains at dinner time.
Staying hydrated as you increase fiber can support digestion. Belardo stressed this point.
MyFitnessPal’s fluid intake tracking feature also makes sure that you reach your daily goals.
Food Trend 2: Plant-Based Proteins
Plant protein may soon overshadow animal proteins on menus; staples like lentils, tofu and quinoa could dominate in 2016.
Only 3% of respondents in the 2024 IFIC survey identified as being “plant-based”, yet 18% identified with eating patterns like Mediterranean, DASH, Flexitarian Vegetarian or Vegan Diets (2) – trends likely to continue through 2025.
Why It Will Trend:
According to Belardo, more and more individuals are learning about plant protein sources such as:
Beans, lentils and peas are legumes (bean family).
soybean products (like tofu, tempeh and soy milk )
Nuts and seeds (like almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds ) and whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice or oatmeal should also be eaten regularly as sources of nutrition.
Seitan (made of wheat gluten)
legume-based pasta, nuts and seeds for texture vegetable protein
“With increased focus on sustainable eating, environmental concerns, and plant-based health benefits, people are realizing they can meet their protein requirements without animal products,” states Daubner.
What You Should Know:
Belardo disproved a widely held misconception: that plant-based proteins must be combined in order to be effective (4).
“Realistically,” according to Brinkman, pairing proteins doesn’t pose an issue.
She suggests that eating various healthy plant protein sources throughout the day is enough to provide all essential amino acids; focussing on variety will cover protein needs without extra planning.”
If your protein intake from plant-based sources is of concern to you, use MyFitnessPal to track it daily and identify which are the top plant protein sources – becoming mindful about including them more regularly into your diet.
Food Trend 3: Affordable Nutrition
With grocery prices projected to increase more slowly in 2025, there has been increased emphasis on eating healthily without breaking the bank (5).
In 2024 IFIC survey, after taste was the top factor when buying food and drinks (2). Price came second.
Why It Will Trend:
Erin Palinski-Wade, dietitian and scientific advisor for MyFitnessPal, believes that with food costs rising quickly, more consumers may struggle to access a wide variety of nutrient dense foods.
So she anticipates an increase in consumers seeking budget-friendly foods that provide maximum nutrition at minimal expense (providing maximum value for nutrition dollars spent).”
Palinkski-Wade suggests this could result in increased spending on budget-conscious foods like:
Beans and lentils are among the top three vegetable sources in America.
Produce that can be frozen and canned is also available.
Canned lean protein products like tuna and sardines provide excellent sources of lean proteins for weight management.
She predicts we’ll witness an upswing of recipes highlighting both nutrition and cost per serving.
What to Know: Palinski-Wade empathizes with consumers’ struggles when purchasing nutritional foods for an entire household at reasonable costs. She states “this can make finding and affording nutritious products an arduous task”.
As a way of mitigating rising food costs, she recommends:
Reduce Food Waste
Buy in-season local produce whenever possible to limit food waste.
Food In Bulk
Canned and frozen options tend to be cheaper and equally nutritious as fresh options; however, fresh produce like carrots or potatoes might actually be more budget-friendly (6); therefore don’t assume fresh produce is always out of your budgetary reach for budget-minded options!
Cooking at home instead of dining out is also the more cost-efficient solution when it comes to getting maximum nutrition from every dollar spent (5).
Meal prepping and planning ahead can save both time and money on food expenses throughout the week. By prepping and organizing, meal prepping allows you to save both both your time and money when purchasing groceries for meals each week.
Food Trend 4: GLP-1 Compatible Snacks
GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic), which can aid with both managing diabetes and weight loss, have become increasingly popular (8). These pills inhibit digestion while simultaneously increasing satiety levels and decreasing appetite (9).
Why It Will Trend:
“As more people take these medications, their appetite, portion sizes, metabolism changes will necessitate making dietary adjustments” states Palinski-Wade.
She anticipates receiving top priority when selecting foods suitable for GLP-1 users.
Typically, she recommends foods which provide maximum nutrition in smaller doses – for instance:
Quality protein sources; antioxidant-rich foods; and fiber-rich foods will receive greater emphasis in order to increase awareness among GLP-1 users regarding proper diet in order to prevent deficiencies that have an adverse impact on bone health and metabolism, according to Shelton.
Palinski-Wade anticipates an upsurge in demand for vitamin and nutrition supplements designed to complement GLP-1 medications as part of this trend.
What to Know:
GLP-1 medications may offer effective solutions for treating obesity and diabetes, yet there may be potential downsides, cautioned Palinski-Wade.
She stressed the need for careful nutrition balance while taking medications that affect metabolism, bone density and overall nutritional status in order to minimize side effects and ensure positive impacts on metabolism, bone density and nutritional health.
MyFitnessPal can assist in your GLP-1 journey in several ways, including keeping track of essential vitamins and minerals intake.
MyFitnessPal also offers a GLP-1 nutrition plan created by our scientific advisors Erin Palinski-Wade and Maya Feller that’s available free in its app.
Kelsey Costa is an expert registered dietitian who provides impactful nutrition consulting services to leading health brands. As an influential voice in nutrition science communication, she promotes global public health awareness as well as nutrition education worldwide.
Danielle Belardo, MD is an award-winning preventive cardiologist and the founder of Precision Preventive Cardiology; an innovative multidisciplinary practice dedicated to cardiovascular disease prevention, cardiometabolic wellness and weight management. Additionally, she serves on the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Nutrition Committee as Chairperson.
Erin Palinski-Wade RD, CDCES is an RD with expertise in helping her clients manage blood sugar and Type 2 diabetes through nutrition. Her approach takes an additive rather than restrictive approach and ensures more options so the changes they make nutritionally are sustainable over time.
Maya Feller is an MS, RD and CDN nutrition therapist specializing in culturally responsive medical nutrition therapy for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders and disordered eating. Her book Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthier Home-Cooked Recipes From Around the World is also highly acclaimed.
Food Trend 5: Protein Driven Diet.
A high-protein diet involves eating protein-rich foods. Athletes, those looking to shed excess weight quickly, and older adults trying to maintain muscle mass often favor such an eating plan.
High-protein diets have seen tremendous popularity recently and were identified as the diet most frequently followed (20%) in the 2024 IFIC Survey (2).
Well-known for their effectiveness at inducing satiation and maintaining metabolic wellbeing.
Why It Will Trend:
Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is an experienced dietitian based out of New York who serves as scientific adviser for MyFitnessPal. She predicts an “explosion in high-protein snack foods”, along with increased marketing of whole food sources of high protein like whole beans or protein powder in 2025.
She suspects this trend might be connected with an increase in worldwide utilization of weight-loss medication like GLP-1s.
“Many diet and fitness plans induce rapid weight loss, and rapid loss of lean muscle mass as well,” according to Ms. Sheridan.
Thus, according to Feller, eating patterns high in proteins have become ever more crucial as tools against lean muscle loss.
Dietitians React To TikTok’s New “Protein Soda” Trend > for additional insights.
What You Should Know: For individuals engaged in weight-loss through diet and exercise, taking in more protein can be particularly advantageous (10). A higher protein intake could help protect muscle while aiding healthy weight loss (10).
Feller stressed the need for protein needs to be tailored specifically.
“For instance,” according to her, the minimum recommended protein consumption should be at.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight in an effort to prevent muscle atrophy and maintain strength and performance.
As recommended for athletes and people striving to lose weight, approximately 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein should be taken per kilogram of bodyweight (11).
However, our bodies can only absorb so much protein at one time; Feller advised against overconsumption of proteins.
Furthermore, research regarding optimal carb-protein-fat ratios for weight loss and muscle gain remains controversial and depends on individual goals and needs.
MyFitnessPal offers an inspiring guide for beginning a high-protein diet: its free high-protein diet plan within the app can serve as an aid.
Food Trend 6: Customized Nutrition
Digital health technology, particularly AI-enhanced wearables and real-time metabolic trackers such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), is becoming more mainstream (12).
These tools enable the monitoring and tracking of individual diets and responses to food, creating highly tailored nutrition plans.
Why It Will Trend: According to Feller, society now recognizes that one size does not fit all, prompting individuals and groups alike to find ways to leverage their individual knowledge for health purposes – enter trackers.
“Demand for food logs and wearable devices that provide real-time data about heart rate variability, sleep patterns, blood sugar and metabolism will increase significantly,” according to Ezrath.
She believes that people crave health insights and want greater control of their own healthcare outcomes.
Feller noted that his patients are growing disillusioned with healthcare systems that fail to take them as individuals into consideration and treat them simply like cogs in a system.
What to Know:
According to Feller, tracking and wearable devices can serve as valuable resources that provide real-time data while deepening knowledge.
She noted this information can help a health provider identify patterns and make tailored suggestions.
Data can only be as useful as what it does for you, so be sure to act on what has been collected – working closely with your health care provider- so it can improve nutrition and health, rather than simply tracking it.
For example, if your CGM shows consistently elevated blood glucose levels after eating certain types of food, it may be beneficial to alter your diet accordingly.
Feller advises everyone to become acquainted with their body and its needs and then use this knowledge as leverage in healthcare situations.
Food Trend 7: Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to any eating pattern whereby individuals alternate periods of eating and fasting, most typically 16:8 fasting for 16 hours overnight and eating within an 8-hour window the following morning.
Intermittent fasting rose from 13% in 2023 to 13% by 2024 according to an IFIC Survey (2, 13).
Dieting with paleo is one of the most widely followed trends in America today and I predict its continued prevalence throughout 2025.
Why It Will Trend: Intermittent fasting has been the subject of numerous studies and gained popularity for its potential benefits beyond weight loss.
Studies indicate intermittent fasting can provide adults who are overweight or obese a range of benefits. It may reduce waist size and body fat accumulation while improving cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin levels and helping support lean body mass (14).
Fasting may provide multiple health benefits; one theory suggests these results stem from its ability to spur autophagy – the body’s natural process for cell repair (15). Fasting may also have positive influences on our gut microbiome (16).
Fasting has long been part of cultural and religious practices (17).
What You Should Know: Intermittent fasting offers various approaches; therefore it is key that you identify which fasting window best meets your individual needs.
Technology’s rise has enabled mobile apps and online communities to help individuals keep to their intermittent fasting plans with greater ease.
MyFitnessPal has an intermittent fasting tracker to allow users to set fasting windows and track daily progress.
Always consult a health provider prior to beginning any fasting regimen if you have health conditions, take medications with food or have had previous experiences of disordered eating patterns.
Food Trend 8: Eating to Support a Healthier Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome contains trillions of tiny organisms like bacteria and fungi.
As science progresses and interest in holistic health increases, I predict that eating for a healthy gut microbiome will become one of the key nutrition trends by 2025.
Why It Will Trend:
Caring for our gut’s living community provides more benefits than mere digestion: it reframes how we view health and disease.
Researchers are exploring this area with great intensity. They are uncovering new connections between gut microbiota and our overall well-being (18), such as:
Mental health, immunity, inflammation, chronic disease and body weight have already experienced this trend, with probiotic foods and beverages such as fiber-enriched sodas claiming gut-related advantages entering the market in increasing numbers.
What You Should Know:
Our food intake plays a huge role in shaping our gut microbiome (19).
Studies suggest that eating proteins may increase diversity of gut bacteria and support healthy microbiomes (19), while high-fat diets could decrease them (19).
Understanding how diet affects gut bacteria is paramount to our overall well-being.
As research on the gut microbiome is still evolving, here are key points you should remember for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome:
Make an effort to incorporate more plant-based foods with fiber into your daily diet.
Start enjoying fermented foods such as unsweetened yogurt, kimchi and sauerkraut today.
Eat prebiotic-rich foods like garlic, onions and bananas to support digestive health.
Limit or avoid alcohol intake
Limit or avoid foods high in refined and sugar content.
Looking Ahead These eight nutrition trends illuminate how science, wellness and mindful eating are converging to shape our future health and well being.
Not all nutrition trends can be healthy, particularly those promoted via social media channels; but following focus areas from qualified experts tends to be safe bets.
Preferring gut health over body size, increasing fiber and protein consumption and adopting new technologies may all prove advantageous in improving nutrition trends.
Staying educated about these and other health-promoting practices will equip you to make healthy and impactful choices in 2019.
MyFitnessPal Can Help
By tracking what you eat and drink using MyFitnessPal, nutrition information such as calories and grams of sugar/fat are unlocked for you allowing you to see which eating habits may hinder progress toward meeting nutrition/weight management goals. This app also has additional health and lifestyle tracking options which may provide more specific advice relating to fitness goals such as athletic performance.
With access to one of the world’s largest food databases (over 20.5 million foods!), tracking food intake and reviewing its nutritional values is now easier than ever before. Just tap to log food!
MyFitnessPal can assist in tracking all of the food that enters our bodies – be it homemade meals or dining out at one of your favourite restaurants.
Download MyFitnessPal for free right now and begin improving your physical wellness today.
Experts Predict 8 Food and Nutrition Trends for 2025 appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
