The Most Popular Food The Decade You Were Born
2000s & Beyond
The last 18 years have been an interesting time in culinary history. The average consumer seems undecided on what they want from restaurants, grocery stores, and even the farmers themselves. Chain stores and restaurants are dying out while people opt for a more “local” experience, and yet every time a chain store closes its doors, there is a twang of sadness and nostalgia. We go to the store with our reusable bags, and then fill them with overpackaged products. Miniature foods like sliders are popular, but we eat twice as much to make up for their size. No wonder it’s hard to pin down what the trends of the last few years have been! Here are a few popular items from the last few decades:
Smoothies: Blending fruit into a drinkable beverage has been around since the advent of the electric blender in the 30s, however, it didn’t really boom in popularity till the 2000s. Why? Two words: Jamba Juice. Since this popular beverage store started selling Mango-a-go-go and other fun smoothies, other stores and restaurants jumped on the bandwagon. Nowadays you can add just about anything to a smoothie – protein powder, nuts, veggies, seeds, and avocados are all popular choices. Get our healthy green smoothie recipe here!
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Cupcakes: Going against the grain of the no carb trend is the boom of cupcakes! Some people credit the rise of cupcakes to the airing of the popular TV show Sex and the City, after one episode when the characters talked about life while munching on delicious cupcakes outside of a famous NYV bakery. People were so crazy about cupcakes, in fact, that hundreds of people quit their day jobs to open up their own cupcake shops. Cupcakes even got their own reality TV show, Cupcake Wars, in 2008. See our fun tutorial on how to decorate your cupcakes here!
Low-Carb Foods: Thanks to the popularity of fad diets like Atkins, carbs became evil incarnate. While most people acknowledge finding a sustainable, healthy lifestyle is far better in the long run, carbs are still pretty unpopular amongst people looking to trim a few quick pounds. Because of the national fear of carbs recipes that had bread substitutions became popular, such as zucchini noodles or cauliflower pizza crust.
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Superfoods: Americans love their superfoods. What is a superfood, you ask? While there’s no chart or standard to go by, the general rule of thumb is that superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that give your body lots of essential vitamins and minerals to help you feel full and energized, as well as preventing diseases and sickness. Açai berries and chia seeds had their time in the spotlight, as well as quinoa. I think we can all agree the most popular superfood right now is Avocado!
Froyo: I remember a time when my small hometown in the Midwest didn’t have any frozen yogurt shops. I left for college, and when I came back over winter break, we had four frozen yogurt shops. Everyone seemed to think that frozen yogurt was healthy. While it might be a low-fat option (especially when compared to regular ice cream), there is still a ton of sugar in this frozen treat, so don’t go eating it every night!
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