Week in Review: An early look at 2027 food trends 

As every year reaches its end, the nation’s retailers project next year’s food trends. 

Fresh Thyme Market got a jump on the forecast, releasing its top food trends for 2027 on the first day of autumn.

The list is a great opportunity for fresh produce marketers, as Cecily Martinez, a Fresh Thyme Market Registered Dietitian, said, “People want fresh, organic, and better-for-you foods that deliver meaningful benefits without adding more complexity to their lives.” 

Among the trends are: 

• Global flavor mashups- mixing cultural cuisines 
• The brain food era- functional foods that support cognitive wellness 
• Bite-sized joys- high-quality snacks that balance wellness with indulgence 
• Fiber first- improving digestive health 
• More in every bite- GLP-1 friendly foods that deliver nutrition 
• Fresh from the fridge- fresher snacking options 
• The resourceful kitchen- foods with extended shelf-life and waste avoidance. 

It’s so easy to think of fresh fruit and vegetable solutions in all these trends. Unfortunately, Fresh Thyme’s product examples highlight many foods outside the produce department, so hopefully they change their focus more to the perimeter when they promote them. 

Two other big trends this year that will surely continue to be a priority in 2027 are value and convenience, and Aldi this week introduced a new line of ready-made meals.

The meal line consists of fresh ingredients in easy-to-heat trays at affordable prices, Aldi says. 

Like Fresh Thyme, they don’t focus enough on fresh produce, but it’s easy enough for customers to add a fruit or vegetable to the meal to make it more balanced. 

As our Week in Review video followers know, I’m a big Aldi fan, and I will give some of these a try and report my findings.

Aldi says the meals will begin rolling out in October with nationwide availability starting in January.