Podcast Summary: All Of It – “Forecasting Food Trends for 2026”

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Kim Severson, Food Correspondent, The New York Times
Date: January 8, 2026
Episode Theme: Exploring the emerging and evolving food trends that will shape what and how America eats in 2026, along with the cultural, economic, and societal forces driving those changes.

Overview

In this episode, Alison Stewart talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning food reporter Kim Severson about her insights into American food culture, based on her recent New York Times article “How We’ll Eat in 2026: More Caution, More Crunch.” The conversation dives into the difference between fads and trends, how food trends are forecasted, the impact of nostalgia and caution on eating habits, new proteins and textures, the rise of vinegar, and how weight loss drugs and political polarization shape food choices.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Understanding Food Trends vs. Fads

• Fads are short-lived, viral phenomena often driven by social media (e.g., nachos made on kitchen counters, “what I ate today” videos).
• Trends represent longer-term shifts with broad cultural impact (e.g., the journey of grass-fed beef from boutique offerings to mainstream supermarkets).
• Quote:

  “A food trend, you know, which is people want to start eating cows that… are living on pasture started 20 years ago and now we're seeing it… as an item at Target.” – Kim Severson (02:11)

2. How Food Trends are Identified

• Kim speaks with a range of industry experts: marketers, trend analysts (e.g., Mintel), chefs, and colleagues.
• Both “top-down” (chefs, fine dining) and “bottom-up” (mass trends, grassroots) approaches are considered.
• Trend analyses combine consumer data with expert interviews and on-the-ground observations.

3. Food Trends from 2025: The Post-Pandemic ‘Roaring’ and Mixing it Up

• Home cooking skills increased during the pandemic (“an entire nation had to learn to cook overnight”), but post-pandemic, there was a surge of restaurant dining and adventurous eating.

• Sauces and “choose your own adventure” dining rose, with brands launching sauce-centric chains (e.g., KFC’s “Sauces” concept with 13 different dips).

• Quote:

  “People wanted wild flavors. You saw hot sauce being in ice cream, and people just wanted to mix it up…” – Kim Severson (05:35)

  Timestamps:

  • [05:10] Home cooking during/post-pandemic
  • [06:27] Surge in flavor mash-ups and sauces

4. Food as a Mirror of American Society

• It's difficult to generalize (“There are many Americas… people eat at lots of different levels.”)

• America is in a “meaty moment”—increase in meat and beef consumption, driven by both financial issues and a cultural return to protein.

• Plant-based foods remain, but the pendulum swings toward beef and animal protein.

  Timestamp: [07:07]

5. 2026 Trends: “Food Maxing” Meets “Grandma Core”

• Grandma core: Nostalgia-driven comfort foods reminiscent of a collective “imaginary grandma,” not necessarily what grandmas actually cooked.
• Food maxing: Functional foods, supplements, and precise macronutrient manipulation for health and wellness (fiber maxing, protein counting).
• The two combine in 2026—seeking both comfort and optimization via gut-friendly, whole, and fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut, sourdough).
• Quote:

  “Food maxing, the idea that we want to pick specific nutrients for performance in our body, mixed with this real desire for real food and grandma culture.” – Kim Severson (09:53)

6. The Turn Toward Nostalgia

• Each generation seeks comfort foods from their youth—currently accelerating due to political, economic, and racial uncertainty.

• Quote:

  “When you hit about 30 or 35, you get very nostalgic for the food you ate growing up… food’s a great way to just drill down into your past, into when you thought you were happier.” – Kim Severson (10:43)

  Memorable Moment:

  • [12:07] “Sunny D as a probiotic”—a tongue-in-cheek idea for a wellness reboot of childhood drinks.

7. Ingredient of the Year: Vinegar

• Not “sexy,” but vinegar is ubiquitous: pickling, sauces, and especially non-alcoholic drinks (shrubs) or to add tang and “pop” to food.

• Vinegar also connects to cultural cuisines (Filipino, Japanese) and growing Gen Z preferences for intense, crunchy, and flavorful experiences.

  Timestamp: [12:13]

8. The Rise of Texture: Crunch, Fluffy, Gummy, and Creamy

• Texture rivals taste and nutrition as a key driver—“the third player… a culinary throuple.” (13:49)
• Crunchy, chewy, and melty textures are especially popular; innovations like freeze-dried candy and layered candies (gummy nerds with gooey centers) illustrate this trend.
• Quote:

  “The importance of texture has never been as high in this country.” – Kim Severson (15:34)

9. Political and Societal Influences: The “RFK Food Pyramid” Moment

• The newest government dietary recommendations (nicknamed “RFK’s food pyramid”) are short, simple, and emphasize meat, whole foods, and even saturated animal fats like beef tallow—controversial among nutritionists.
• Unusual crossover: both left (progressive foodies) and right (MAGA) unite on wanting “real” food and skepticism of ultra-processed foods.
• Snack food companies are worried due to the new focus on “ultra-processed” labeling.
• Quote:

  “There’s this place where healthy food and… things that are not… manipulated by a food company are very popular. It may be the one place that the left and the right can really stand.” – Kim Severson (15:47)

10. Impact of Weight Loss Drugs (GLP-1s) on Eating

• Widespread use (1 in 8 people) is pushing a focus on protein to help retain muscle.

• Snack food consumption is declining, with companies streamlining product lines.

• Expect less—but possibly better—snacking.

  Timestamps:

  • [18:04] Rise of protein
  • [19:50] Shift in snack foods

11. Surprise Trends

• Chai raves: Booze-free, daytime dance parties centered on tea, reflecting the move toward non-alcoholic socializing.
• Hotel dining: Once uninspired, now seeing a resurgence as people look for affordable indulgence.
• Japanese breakfast becomes a sought-after culinary experience.
• Quote:

  “Chai raves are big… I haven’t been invited to one, but… if anybody out there is hosting one, please invite me.” – Kim Severson (20:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “You don't want to be distracted by the food fads because those come and go.” – Kim Severson (01:12)
• “So we are pretty meaty right now. We're in a meaty moment in America.” (07:34)
• “But apparently not in 2026, my friend. Here we are.” – Kim Severson, on the contradiction of food maxing and grandma core (10:35)
• “The importance of texture has never been as high in this country.” (15:34)
• “It may be the one place that the left and the right can really stand… at the farmer's market and maybe everything will be okay.” (16:05)
• “Vinegar is coming up, I think, in lots of ways, for lots of reasons. So vinegar—look for vinegar.” (13:17)
• “Chai raves… Japanese breakfast… hotel dining. Didn’t see that one coming.” (20:00)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• [01:03] – Defining fads vs. trends
• [03:18] – How Kim identifies food trends
• [05:10] – Recap of recent (2025) food trends
• [06:54] – Food as a reflection of American society
• [09:01] – Food maxing meets grandma core
• [12:13] – Ingredient of the year: vinegar
• [13:39] – Texture’s growing influence
• [15:47] – RFK’s food pyramid and politics
• [18:04] – Impact of weight loss drugs (GLP-1s)
• [20:00] – Trends Kim didn’t see coming (chai raves, hotel dining)

Conclusion

Kim Severson’s nuanced, real-world take reveals how America’s food choices are tightly interwoven with deep currents of nostalgia, health optimization, political polarization, and economic reality. Expect 2026 to feature a balancing act: real, “grandma-inspired” comforts meet data-driven wellness (“food maxing”); vinegar, texture, and protein move into the spotlight; and even unlikely spaces—chai raves, hotel dining—become sites of innovation. And, as always, food tells a bigger story about who we are, what we value, and how we cope with a complicated world.