What 2016 Food Trends Mean For Your Food Truck

Food trends are a great way to switch up your menu in a relevant way. Because of this, we are highlighting some of the top food trends for 2016.

Food Trends:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Hyper-local sourcing
4. Natural ingredients/ minimally processed food 6 Environmental sustainability
5. Healthful kids’ meals
6. New cuts of meat
7. Sustainable seafood
8. house-made/ artisan ice cream
9. Ethnic condiments/ spices
10. Authentic ethnic cuisine

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Trends:

1. house-made/ artisan soft drinks
2. Gourmet lemonade
3. Specialty iced tea
4. Mocktails
5. Coconut water
6. flavored/ enhanced water
7. Cold brew coffee
8. Hot tea
9. Smoothies
10. Sparking water

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Photo Credit: mobile-cuisine.com

Every year food truck owners look at their menus and try to determine what changes need to be made to continue their success. For others their menu may not be as popular as it was the previous year so they have to re-examine what did well and what needs to be corrected.

The National Restaurant Association surveyed 1,600 members of the American Culinary Federation, on which food, cuisines, beverages and culinary themes will be the 2016 food trends that show up on food-service menus.

While many of you already incorporate these concepts into your food truck, for those that don’t and are looking to spice things up and increase your popularity, take a look at these finds from the NRA.

Top 10 – 2016 Food Trends

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Hyper-local sourcing
4. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food 6 Environmental sustainability
5. Healthful kids’ meals
6. New cuts of meat
7. Sustainable seafood
8. House-made/artisan ice cream
9. Ethnic condiments/spices
10. Authentic ethnic cuisine

In addition to these food trends, we have noticed food trucks adding beverage options to their menus. For those of you interested in what you might be able to add, here are the top 2016 trends for non-alcoholic beverages.

Top 10 – 2016 Non-alcoholic Beverage Trends

1. House-made/artisan soft drinks
2. Gourmet lemonade
3. Specialty iced tea
4. Mocktails
5. Coconut water
6. Flavored/enhanced water
7. Cold brew coffee
8. Hot tea
9. Smoothies
10. Sparkling water

The type of food consumers eat, the flavors they crave and how they think of food is evolving, and it touches all aspects of your food truck business. Use these types of lists to keep up on the trends that could either allow your food truck to sink or swim, in the competitive mobile food industry.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on these lists? Did any of these ratings surprise you? Do you think these 2016 food trends relate to your local food truck market?

Read the full article here.