Food Trends

What’s next in food trends? In its latest food-focused consumer research, Nextin investigates consumer behaviors, preferences, motivations, and unmet needs to identify sustaining and emerging food trends in packaged foods, including snacks (savory, sweet, and snacks for kids), ready meals, functional foods, and more.

Today’s consumer, tomorrow’s trends. This robust data set captures the attitudes, behaviors, and motivations of U.S. food consumers with revelatory consumer research rooted in its proprietary 2025 survey of 1,235 U.S. consumers who make these purchase decisions.

Look ahead. Stay ahead. Forward-looking Nextin food market data reinforces that consumers want more — and less. More protein, more fiber, more healthy options. Less sugar, less sodium, fewer artificial colors and dyes. More than these macro trends, Nextin delivers the raw data from this food market research that allow further exploration of emerging need-states, like GLP-1 users and functional food seekers; food market segments with under-met needs, including those who shop for kids’ snacks and frozen foods; and behavior-based subgroups spanning packaged food segments.

Gain immediate, on-demand access to the latest food trend data and insights, including:

• 36-page Nextin Insights Food Industry Trends Report (PDF)
• 82 ready-to-use PowerPoint Charts, plus 82 accompanying tables, containing the latest food trend data (PowerPoint, PDF)
• Raw data from Nextin’s 2025 survey of 1,235 consumers, along with normalized data tables (Excel)

Designed for food industry professionals who seek to anticipate what’s next, this Nextin Food Market Research Package provides a future-facing perspective that connects consumer demand, supply chain innovation, and market dynamics. Grounded in MarketPlace’s 22+ years as a business serving the food and beverage industry, Nextin informs and inspires ingredient, product, and brand innovation that become the food trends of 2026, 2027, 2028, and beyond.

Questions? Get in touch to schedule a demo.

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• Nextin Insights Report: this 36-page food industry trends report connects the dots between the latest consumer data, food science innovation, and supply chain dynamics to anticipate what’s next in food industry trends.
• Data from our survey of 1,235 U.S. consumers, conducted in 2025
• Hot Topic Spotlights, including functional foods, snack trends, ready meal trends, and more
• Ready-to-use Charts and Tables provided in PowerPoint with embedded Excel data; also provided in PDF
• Normalized Data (.XLSX): an Excel spreadsheet containing 82 data tables comprising the responses to all food consumer survey questions included in this data set
• Raw Data (.XLSX): a single spreadsheet that provides access to thousands of individual data points, offering an opportunity for data slices unique to your needs

Food Category Trends
an Insights Report from Nextin Research by MarketPlace
2025 Consumer Data, Future Food Category Insights

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Meet the Audience: the U.S. Food Consumer

• Top Categories Purchased
• Important Factors
• Did You Know: Psychographic Insights

Food Trends and the U.S. Consumer

• Food Purchases and Opportunities
  • Food Purchases and Satisfactions Levels (Table 1.01)
  • Packaged Food Priorities: Factors That Influence Purchase
  • Consumer Priorities When Comparing Packaged Foods (Table 1.02)
• The Protein Push: Sources and Satisfaction
  • Protein Sources That Consumers Seek in Packaged Foods (Table 1.03)
• The Fiber Factor
  • Fiber Sources That Consumers Seek in Packaged Foods (Table 1.04)
  • Innovation and Merchandising Insight
• Better-for-You: Evolving Consumer Criteria
  • Ingredients Consumers Avoid (Table 1.05)
• Flavor-Full: Familiar, Fun, and Fanciful
  • Top Savory Flavor Preferences (Table 1.06)
  • Top Sweet Flavor Preferences (Table 1.07)
  • Innovation Insight
• The Marketing Mix: Grow Awareness, Gain Interest, Drive Sales
  • Top Sources of Food Information and Inspiration (Table 1.08)
  • Marketing Insight
• Purchase Influence: Driving Trial and Long-term Loyalty
  • Corporate Responsibility Initiative and Influence (Table 1.09)
• Food Purchase Channels: Where Consumers Shop
  • Retail and Foodservice
  • Partnership Potential
  • Retail Channels for Food Purchases (Table 1.10)

Snack Category Spotlight: Snacking, Sweet and Savory

• Satisfaction by Category
• In-Demand Snack Attributes
• Did You Know: Snack Consumer Psychographic Insights
• Snack Flavors That Promote Trial (Table 2.01)
• Sweet Snack Trends
  • Purchased in the Prior Month
  • Sweet Snack Flavor Preferences
  • Recently Consumed
• Savory Snack Trends
  • Purchased in the Prior Month
  • Important Factors in Packaged Foods Purchases
  • Recently Consumed
  • Most Likely to Use in Food Preparation
• Kids’ Snacks
  • Purchased in Households with Kids 18 and Younger
  • What Shoppers Seek in Kids’ Snacks (Table 2.02)
  • Those Who Purchase Foods for Kids 12 and Younger
  • Did You Know: Psychographic Insights
• Fortified Snacking: Protein, Fiber, and Functionality
  • Preferred Protein Sources in Snacks (Table 2.03)
  • Preferred Fiber Sources in Snacks (Table 2.04)
  • Fiber-Focused Snackers
  • Functional Fiber
  • Functional Snacking: Satisfying More Than Cravings
  • Preferred Functional Benefits in Snacks (Table 2.05)
  • Preferred Ingredients and Attributes in Snacks (Table 2.06)

Functional Food Spotlight: The Functional Food Phenomenon

• The Effect of Functional Benefits on Food Purchase Consideration (Table 3.01)
• Functional Benefits Sought in Food (Table 3.02)

Ready Meal Spotlight: Get Ready, Get Set, Eat

• Ready Meal Consumer Attitudes Regarding Food Preparation (Table 4.01)
• Top Appliances Used by Ready Meal Consumers (Table 4.02)
• Savory Flavor Preferences
• Food Decision-Drivers Among Ready Meal Consumers (Table 4.03)
• Functional Food Benefits

Questions? Get in touch.

Nextin Research Food Market Research & Trends
82 PowerPoint Charts Plus Data Tables

The U.S. Food Consumer

• Purchased, Prior Month
• Packaged Foods Consumption, Prior Month
• Beverage Consumption, Prior Month
• Supplement and CBD Consumption, Prior Month
• Decision-Drivers for Packaged Food Purchases
• Top Factors in Packaged Food Purchase Decisions
• Preferred Protein Sources in Packaged Foods
• Preferred Fiber Sources in Packaged Foods

Packaged Food Trends: the Savory Side

• Packaged Food Purchases, Prior Month
• Preferred Flavor Profiles in Sweet Packaged Foods

Packaged Food Trends: the Sweet Side

• Packaged Food Purchases, Prior 3 Months
• Preferred Flavor Profiles in Savory Packaged Foods

Functional Foods: Attitudes, Preferences, & Behaviors

• Benefits That Motivated Food, Beverage, or Supplement Purchase, Prior Month
• Functional Foods and Purchase Consideration
• In-Demand Benefits in Functional Foods

Met & Unmet Needs: Consumer Satisfaction with Packaged Foods

• Satisfaction with Packaged Foods by Category
• What Consumers Want More of in Packaged Foods
• What Consumers Want Less of in Packaged Foods
• Ingredients Consumers Avoid in Packaged Foods

Trends in Snacking: Sweet, Savory, & Fortified

• In-Demand Attributes in Snacks
• Preferred Protein Sources in Snacks
• Preferred Fiber Sources in Snacks
• Flavor Profiles That Promote Trial in Snacks

Kids’ Packaged Snacks: Attribute Priorities & Importance

• Satisfaction with Kids’ Snack Options
• In-Demand Attributes in Kids’ Packaged Snacks
• Attribute Importance in Kids’ Snacks

Food Consumer Psychographics: Attitudes, Values, & Lifestyle Factors

• Food Purchase Decision-Drivers
• Consumer Psychographics Related to Food Choices
• Attitudes About Food Preparation
• Food Preparation Methods and Appliances
• Food-Related Consumer Behaviors

Brand Attributes That Influence Packaged Food Purchases

• Influence of Certifications on Packaged Food Purchases
• Influence of Eco-Conscious Attributes on Packaged Food Purchases
• Influence of Corporate Values & Practices on Packaged Food Purchases

Food Purchase Behaviors, Influences, & Channels

• Packaged Food Purchase Behaviors: Who Shoppers Buy For
• Behaviors Related to Trial of a Packaged Food
• Sources of Food Information and Inspiration
• Food Retail and Foodservice Channels, Prior Month
• Online and Service-Based Food Retail Channels, Prior Month

U.S. Food Consumer Demographics

• Consumer Demographics: Relationship Status
• Consumer Demographics: Gender
• Consumer Demographics: Sexual Identity
• Consumer Demographics: Age Ranges
• Consumer Demographics: Annual Household Income
• Consumer Demographics: Community Type

Questions? Get in touch.

Do even more with your data. These optional services can help you uncover specific details about your audience or product segment, inform innovation and your go-to-market strategy, and enhance your customer presentations.

Custom Data Slice +$2,500
Additional data analysis based on a single set of criteria; includes a customized Executive Summary. Get in touch to learn more.

Strategy Consulting +$5,000

Up to 12 hours of consulting from an experienced Strategist in your category. Discuss the possibilities specific to your ingredient, product, or brand. Includes a documented Executive Summary. Learn more about Strategy Consulting.

3 Protocept Renderings +$7,500

Illuminate the possibilities with three (3) digital Protocept Mockups that demonstrate how innovation might come to life in a packaged good. Ideal for use in presentations. Includes a discovery call to identify Protocept direction, with each of the 3 protocepts delivered in .PNG and .JPG formats. See protocept examples or get in touch to learn more.

Questions? Get in touch.

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