On The Menu
The 2021 menu battle: Comfort food vs healthier options
Menu trends experts from Panera Bread, Buffalo Wild Wings, Luna Grill, Culinary Tides, Qdoba and Pure Green predict the coming year's top menu trends.
December 22, 2020 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
With 2020 being one of the most challenging years of most people's lives, it's not shocking that menu experts are predicting that 2021 will feature two extremely different flavor profiles — Team Comfort Food vs. — Team Healthier Options. Although there was a bit of a debate on which would take the top spot, most experts agreed that we are in for a reset.
"There was nothing new for 2020, since not only did we go into quarantine, so did trend parents," Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tides, told FastCasual. "With parents being quiet, there was no forward motion for trend inspiration for the last year. We have to start over for 2021."
To predict the coming year's menu trends, Badaracco said we must look back at the regional and global flavor trends that were hitting prior to COVID-19. Those included ceviche, hummus, ramen, toast, poke, mocktails, all-day breakfast, sourdough and regional desserts. Others that have a strong basis for a resurgence were regional seafood dishes, regional BBQ, flexitarian blends, peasant foods, ethnic breakfast, congee and global grilling.
"It feels like companies moved forward with what was in their pipeline for 2020 and didn't adjust for the reversals and accelerations that occurred due to COVID-19 and recession," she said.
Mindy Armstrong, the director of menu strategy and product innovation at Buffalo Wild Wings, agreed, saying that her team was revisiting the trends of 2019 and early 2020.
"Funky and fermented flavors, for instance, and globally inspired condiments, sauces and seasonings, like eel sauce, fish sauce, harissa, gochujang, piri piri and za'atar as examples," she said during an interview with FastCasual. "I believe we'll also see American regional cuisine get a new dose of interest and new variations of comfort foods with a globally-inspired spin. Think ramen, pho, dumplings, tacos and BBQ."
Michelle Goncalves, VP of culinary at Luna Grill, agreed to some extent, saying that Luna's 2021 menu will focus on classics with a twist.
"We've found that during COVID-19, guests were leaning into their tried and true favorites, the familiar," she said. "We have done well with that strategy, but we also see 'familiar fatigue' with consumers. People are getting bored of the same old thing. We have a line-up of new news we are very excited about."
Luna is also leaning into fusing flavors.
"We look for opportunities to take key Mediterranean ingredients and flavors and leverage them on products to bring them to the forefront," Goncalves said. "There may be flavors a little less known like schug which provides a burst of fresh herbs and citrus that really come to life on any dish. Or garlic… grated, chopped, infused with olive oil or as a sauce. There are so many great products that a drizzle of our fresh garlic sauce can make the ordinary… extraordinary."
Known for their sauces, the chefs at Buffalo Wild Wings are exploring new and trending flavors to feed that innovation pipeline.
"New pepper varieties are of particular interest for consumers seeking heat and a desire to try something new or beat their last spicy experience," Armstrong said. "Flavors with smoky layers of heat, the umami-flavors of fermented flavors and a refreshed line-up of unexpected flavor combinations are all on my mind in 2021. Like, I'm hearing about an interest in maple, so what could we mix with maple in 2021 to give this favorite flavor profile relevance next year?"
What's the diet of the year?
While Badaracco said the popularity of strict diets like keto was waning, she called intermittent fasting the "top diet."
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| Qdoba Mexican Grill is launching its Mexican Cauliflower Mash this week in all U.S. locations. Provided. |
"No one has time for a strict diet that has a high price tag and rules to follow," she said. "Also, keto also goes against the plant protein trend as on keto you cannot eat grains, beans or legumes (limited)."
Ross Franklin, the founder of New York City-based Pure Green, however, believes that keto is still going strong, calling it "one of the most popular nutrition plans in the world right now."
"Pure Green is currently formulating a keto-based handcrafted smoothie and keto-based bowl in order to better serve those who are practicing the diet plan," he said.
The power of the plant
Although they are on opposite sides of the keto debate, Franklin and Badaracco agreed that plant-based options will keep gaining ground, a fact that Luna Grill understands as well.
"We have done a great job of embracing this trend and have made products from bowls to burgers with our plant-based partner," Goncalves said. "You just have to find the right seasoning magic and you can really create some amazing products," she said. "Finding unique ways to deliver an interesting pairing of sauce, spice and seasoning can make eating our Mediterranean food an adventure."
Badaracco warned, however, that extreme flavor profile — super spicy, extreme chilies or shocking sour — will flop this year. Now is not the time for kimchi or Scandinavian fermented fish or ghost chili, for example.
"When it is a stressful time, extremes on the pallet are not desirable," she said. "That is why mac and cheese and meat loaf come back each recession. BTW, this is the recession's fault — the calmer, more sedate flavors.
Indulgent flavors are at the top of consumers' desires.
"Healthy has to play the girlfriend, not the leading lady," she said. "The leading ladies are familiarity, indulgence, comfort, cost and safety. Any health overlay must take a back seat to all the others. She won't come forward until the recession resolves."
While COVID-19 pushes for immune function and cognitive health function, Badaracco said there were no specific menu items directly affecting either of these.
"In fact, with stress, depression, anxiety leading for cognitive health function — indulgence, safety and familiarity are the top drivers," she said.
Comfort vs. healthy
Not everyone agreed, however.
Hoyt Jones, president of Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems Inc., said his consumers were seeking healthy and sustainable options including antibiotic-free meats, organic produce and vegetarian meal choices.
Qdoba Mexican Grill was on a similar page, considering that it's launching its Mexican Cauliflower Mash this week in all U.S. locations. The low-carb alternative to rice is made from oven-roasted cauliflower and blended with sour cream, cilantro and pico de gallo. It has 6 grams of carbs per 4.5-ounce serving, according to a company press release.
"Given the successful test in Indianapolis, we decided to make this a nationwide menu item," Karin Silk, VP of menu and off-premises, said in the release. "Our new Mexican Cauliflower Mash gives consumers the opportunity to choose a healthful alternative without sacrificing flavor."
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Panera's cheese flatbread (photo provided). |
As low-carb lifestyles continue to grow in popularity, the low-carb diet market is expected to grow at a rate of 6.4%, according to Data Bridge Market Research. Qdoba's Mexican Cauliflower Mash is a direct result of using this insight and continuing to innovate based on increasing consumer demand, Silk said.
Carbs, however, are on the menu at Panera Bread, said Claes Petersson, head chef and chief food innovation officer, who has been exploring new ingredients for the chain's recently launched Flatbread Pizzas.
"But we won't stop there," he told FastCasual. "Whether bringing new flavors to items currently on our menu or considering an entirely new offering, we always turn first to our extensive pantry of fresh, clean ingredients as a source of inspiration for delicious, cravable food our guests can feel good about."
Pure Green, of course, is betting on the healthier profiles, however, pointing out that celery juice has gained traction in recent years, driven by celebrities and influencers. Pure Green is releasing a 100% organic cold-pressed celery juice
"With most of the population working from home due to COVID-19, more people are seeking a brain boost to help improve focus during the work week, and have been finding a solution in nootropics," he said. "With this in mind, Pure Green will soon be releasing the Lil' Joe Shot, a 2-ounce shot that stacks the double benefits of caffeine from cold-brew coffee, with polyphenols of cacao juice. Cacao is the raw form of chocolate and has a host of medicinal benefits."
Badaracco disagreed, saying that celery juice ties into certain trends — retro ('70s), health and wallflowers — it's not approachable and has no ties to any regional or global flavor trends to ground it.
"Celery's flavor profile at best in neutral, at worst is grassy," she said. "It is not crave worthy on its own. Consumers are not in the mood to try something with no connection to any other current trend. It would be better to appear in 2022."
The bottom line
Whether they lean into healthier options or comfort food, chefs have the opportunity to re-introduce flavors that might have passed their peak in a "normal" year.
"Familiar flavors, like BBQ, citrus varieties and bright floral flavors are still in play," Armstrong said. "In 2021, I'm guessing we'll eat a little less animal protein, drink a little less alcohol and see fewer LTOs for flavors that are widely available in the mainstream space, like sriracha, schezuan, avocado-everything and broad flavors without a sense of place.
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