Virality vs. Change
Plus 20 minute "I Love You" Noodles ❤️
Earlier this week, I was reading Casey Lewis's newsletter, who is the expert on Gen Z consumer trends, and after watching hundreds of TikTok's Christmas wishlists, she had a pretty good sense of what is popular this year.
Among the products and themes she listed as being on everyone's list, she commented that Stanely water bottles, which had been at the top of everyone's list last year, were nowhere to be seen. This made me inexplicitly sad. For some reason, I can't stop thinking about the Stanley employees and leadership team, who enjoyed rapid success last year and then saw everything come to a halt as their sales slowed. Maybe they will have to start laying off people or reducing production soon.
Perhaps I made this all up, but something about no longer being the IT thing and the short-lived nature of trends makes me sad. Of course, this is part of life under capitalism: Trends always come and go while brands fight for our attention and dollars.
When it comes to food, there are short-lived trends, and then there are lasting changes. Change is more challenging without a brand throwing marketing dollars into influencing us to eat something, but it is possible. Avocados and avocado toast, for example, came into the mainstream in the 2000s thanks to the influence of the Australian breakfast scene and have been on menus ever since. Kale is another example, often cited as a forgotten vegetable that had a glow-up thanks to a woman named Oberon Sinclair. In the bean world, hummus is always touted as a miracle case study in which people finally came around to chickpeas and incorporated hummus into their lives. I would call these trends that had real change.
At the same time, plenty of food trends don't have staying power. For example, food writer Andrea Hernández has called 2025 the year of Beef Tallow. With the focus on health and natural products, many new brands have started using beef tallow instead of oils for chips and other snacks - will this stay? Do we want this?
When I talk to people about what I do and say I focus on beans and encouraging people to eat them more regularly, I often hear that beans are having their moment in the spotlight, but I don't feel this to be true. If this is the apex of bean's moment, I'm scared! We have not yet infiltrated the mainstream! Don't kick us off the stage!
So, in preparation for a year of new food trends and brands, I hope ones incorporating more plant-based proteins, beans, and upcycled ingredients are here to stay.
Keep an eye on:
Mezcla protein bars - made with pea protein puffs
Lentilful
Heydey Beans
MyForest Bacon
Lil’ Bucks
Gems of the Week ✨
Decorating cookies—I was reminded how much fun it is to break out the cookie cutters and decorate. I started with this sugar cookie recipe and dipped some in dark chocolate with sprinkles or candied yellow beets.
If you’re curious about the upcoming trends in flavors, I like this yearly prediction from Food Business News - cheeseburger-seasoned potato chips or a cannoli-flavored coffee creamer anyone?
A recent episode of this is Taste with Andrea Hernández, which breaks down so many buzzy topics in food leaves me even more fascinated with food culture and trends.
Farm to People held a customer appreciation this week where over 200 of their top customers came to celebrate the year, meet producers, and eat! This was an awesome event, and if you aren’t getting a Farmt to People delivery, you should definitely check it out.
More beans and less red meat: Nutrition experts weigh in on US dietary guidelines - they said it, not me!
Tahini “I Love You” Noodles ✨
with Super Soft Cabbage and Tofu
Depending on our schedules, I sometimes make dinner for Theo and leave it in the fridge. Food is already my love language, but if I can remember, I will try to leave a note with it.
This dish is a favorite of Theo’s and is super easy to pull together. The key to this being extra delicious is the fresh noodles I get from Farm to People, but any ramen or egg noodle will do.
Ingredients:
Napa Cabbage
Firm Tofu
Ginger
Garlic
Tahini
Radish hearts (optional)
Instructions:
Saute diced garlic and ginger
Slice cabbage thin and add to pan until soft
Meanwhile, boil water to cook the noodles according to the package
Whisk together 2 Tbsp tahini, squirt maple syrup or honey, a squeeze of lime, salt, and pasta water to thin
Add cubed tofu to the pan
Mix in the sauce
I like this reflection on trend cycles. I find sometimes that I hope something like beans won't actually reach an "apex" because it seems to always imply a sharp decline a bit further down the road. If beans take a slow and steady rise and then stay there, i'll be happy!