As humans, we love to explore different experiences, including new foods that bring up novel tastes, textures, and sensations. That’s why the food we eat and the food that we order at our favorite restaurants tend to change over time, and why so many people enjoy trying something new — you never know what you’re going to like!

While no one can predict the future, there are a few clues popping up in social media and in restaurants across the country as to what 2024 holds for us in food trends. Here are a few of the big ones.

Collaborations

The first food trend to highlight is collaborations between well-known brands or products. Take the Taco Bell and Milk Bar collaboration from a few years ago or the recent string of high-end restaurants collaboration with one another. We predict that there will be more collaborations in our future, which bring together the tastes that we know so well with other familiar flavors to create something more. In this case, the sum might be greater than its parts.

Healthy foods

Healthy food makes the list of current food trends each year, and this year is nothing different. Healthy or clean eating is one of those food trends that is here to stay, with its major benefits for both our physical and emotional health.

Healthy foods include multigrain breads rather than white breads, lots of fruits and vegetables, and anything that has a boost of vitamins. Healthy foods also mean plenty of antioxidants, water, and fiber to keep our bodies going. The good news is that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean compromising on flavor — there are so many incredible recipes out there that use healthy ingredients in appropriate portions that pack in sweet, spicy, salty, or any other flavor.

Spicy but make it sophisticated

Next up is a complex spicy taste, as the world seems to be more interested in hot sauces and spice. The YouTube show Hot Ones has popularized trying new hot sauces, especially those that make us sweat, cry, or swear. These hot sauces tend to be more than spicy, they also pack a sweet or fruity taste, or a smokey effect that makes them more than originally perceived. Complex spices are also showing up in restaurants, with influences from South Asian cuisine, South American cuisine, and more to add to dishes and bring out complimentary tastes.

Pet nats

If you haven’t heard of “pet nats,” then you’re likely to have no idea what these seven letters refer to. Pet nats come from the French words “petillant naturel,” which describes a natural sparkling wine. To count as “natural,” the wine has little intervention during their creation, with nothing filtered out at the end of the process — so, you might see a little bit of fruit still in the bottle.

Pet nats have become a popular item on wine menus, with their unique flavors. With some bubbles, these are refreshing drinks that are the perfect addition to a picnic or garden party, and we expect to see many pet nats out and about this summer.

Big shared dishes

The last food trend that we predict for 2024 are big shared dishes. It’s no longer pandemic times and we’re back and cozy with one another, meaning that the need to keep our food separate is less important now. When we think about big shared dishes, we’re thinking large charcuterie or butter boards for the group, or warm dishes of casserole, pasta, or pizza. Coming together with friends and family is a huge focus for many of us this year, and sharing meals together makes that an easy thing to do.

Whatever you’re eating this year, let CaterCow make it easy to bring to the office. By ordering group meals through CaterCow, you’ll choose from dozens of local options with the ability to individualize your order based on what you need and what your group wants.