Working at jellybean, we’ve always got an ear to the ground for any whisper of new foodie trends. We’ve watched various fads, crazes and diets come and go over the years, some fading out in the blink of an eye, others staying the course, still more regularly coming full circle.

Increasingly, we see trends stemming from the wider demand to categorise anything and everything into two clear camps of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and entire food groups have by no means avoided this onslaught.

We villainise some and glorify others – sometimes with statistical insights and verified reasons, and other times, not. Often with very little room for nuance, we like to add labels to those all-important macronutrients and their popularity ebbs and flows depending on current public perception.

Growing up in the 90s and 00s, salt was very much the enemy – purveyor of high-blood pressure and increasing the risk of cardiovascular issues. In recent years, the negative attention on salt has eased up, with many recognising the varying ways salt can play a positive role in diets (and flavour) – in moderation of course.

In the 2010s, it was gluten that got a bad rap and very quickly, gluten-free alternatives appeared on menus and exploded on to supermarket shelves. Partly due to an increased awareness in Coeliac disease and gluten intolerance – there was also a narrative around low-gluten diets leading to weight loss – all popularised by celebrities and the media, which helped drive this trend.

More recently, it’s protein that’s secured a reputation makeover. Foodie and fitness trends have collided to create the perfect storm for protein, muscling its way into everything from cereal bars and yoghurt to pasta and bread. In 2024, Tesco revealed two hard boiled eggs to be its most popular snack option in its lunchtime meal deal. Protein is riding the popularity wave high and ensuring its status as the ‘most important’ macronutrient is front of mind for consumers, R&D teams, supermarket buyers and shoppers, alike. Just look at the shelves from the new Protein Mini Babybel launch to the success of Surreal Cereal, not to mention Huel hitting the food to go fixture.

So, what’s next?

Several times ‘Fats’ has risen its head above the parapet. But perhaps understandably, as a food group, it’s one that proves divisive. That said, when looking at individual products rather than the group as a whole, several examples spring to mind. Olive oil has experienced a recent surge in popularity, with people extolling the virtues of the polyphenols found in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. As a result, premium bottles have become a regular on gifting lists, with some foodies preferring a good quality bottle of olive oil as a thank you instead of a bottle of wine.

Avocado has also had its time in the sun, heralded as a ‘healthy fat’ and with its naturally creamy texture and used as an alternative to butter in everything from chocolate mousse to brownies.

There is of course the 2022 legislation around HFSS (products High in Fat, Salt and Sugar) to contend with (read more here). But one food group that has so far flown under the radar is fibre. Could it be fibre that becomes the Next Big Thing? It was a point raised in Lumina Intelligence’s most recent quarterly briefing (read more on that here). It’s a tricky ask, with fibre never having had the most glamourous reputation – All Bran springs to mind. That said, with more than 90% of adults in the UK failing to eat enough fibre, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) and the rise in education around gut health, if it can pinch protein’s PR manager, who knows how it’ll be perceived this time in 10 years!

Clare Fellowes-Freeman
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