FreshDirect shares food trend predictions for 2021

Food experts at FreshDirect say shopping and cooking habits are going to change in 2021.

The popular online grocery delivery service released its annual food trend forecast on Tuesday, which identified growing consumer demand, up-and-coming ingredients and kitchen behaviors.

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In total, FreshDirect pointed to 8 trends it observed in 2020 among its customers, and believe will still be well-liked in the next 12 months.

FreshDirect has predicted consumers are going to buy more fresh seafood, premium cuts of meat and prepared meals.

FreshDirect has predicted consumers are going to buy more fresh seafood, premium cuts of meat, prepared meals and produce online. (iStock)

The company also foresees more people ordering produce online in place of traditional in-person shopping. For example, FreshDirect saw orders for blueberries and satsuma mandarin oranges increase in the last year.

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Sustainability is another shopping trend FreshDirect has observed with customers showing interest in lower food waste.

Consumers are getting more creative in the kitchen as well since people are spending more time at home than they typically would due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent dining restrictions throughout the U.S.

These limitations have led some home chefs to experiment with their cooking whether it be through “exotic spices” or other unique food items, FreshDirect shared – something that can be seen in the viral food trends from 2020.

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Other trends FreshDirect believes will carry over in the new year is a growing demand for same-day delivery and online grocery shopping overall.

Online grocery delivery services have gained popularity throughout the coronavirus pandemic. (iStock)

In 2020, online grocery market was valued at around $1.04 trillion, according to Mercatus, a grocery ecommerce platform for retailers. The data firm estimates that the online grocery market will grow to nearly $1.2 trillion by 2025.

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Fruitful market projections appear to support FreshDirect’s own predictions for the online grocery industry.

According to the company’s Chief Merchandising Officer Scott Crawford, “The rapid increase in demand for online grocery and the boom in home cooking are squarely aligned with what our team of food experts have been seeing firsthand, both early last year and later accelerated by the pandemic.”