Five shifts shaping what Americans will eat and drink next year, as expectations rise for every bite and every sip

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nestlé USA today unveiled its 2027 Food and Beverage Trend Forecast, identifying the five shifts set to define how Americans eat and drink in the year ahead. With its brands in 98% of U.S. households, Nestlé brings a distinct vantage point to how consumer behavior is changing and where it’s heading next.

“We track thousands of early signals across conversations every year, and only a handful become meaningful trends,” said Linh Phillips, Director, Consumer Insights & Foresight, Nestlé USA. “What’s coming through clearly is that value has become personal. Consumers are defining what’s ‘worth it’ on their own terms — whether that means more flavor, a specific benefit or an experience that feels made for them.”

On the Menu in 2027

1. The Zest Is Yet to Come

The next big thing in flavor isn’t a hotter pepper. After a decade of chasing heat, consumers aren’t just spicing it up. They’re zesting it up. With searches for “zesty foods” up 130% year over year,¹ and sour category sales have climbed 309% since 2022,² their craving for excitement doesn’t just mean more intensity, it’s taking what was once expected up a notch and turning it into something irresistible. Zest is less a flavor descriptor than a feeling: bright, sharp and lively, arriving as citrus zip and herbaceous tang, in yuzu kosho, calamansi, sumac and chile citrus.

From Our Kitchen: Minor’s Kitchen™ Lemon Garlic Aioli Sauce, Hot Pockets^® Snack Breaks Melty Nacho Beef, Vital Pursuit™ Southwest Style Chicken Fajita Sandwich Melt

2. Protein&

Roughly 63% of U.S. consumers are still actively seeking more protein.³ What changes in 2027 is that high protein stops being a standalone “protein-maxxing” goal. Consumers expect their food to do more, delivering against multiple needs at once, from gut health to aging to beauty and more. Searches pairing protein with probiotics are up 300% year over year, with collagen 190% and with fiber 150%.⁴ The second benefit doesn’t have to be functional either, with searches for “protein comfort food” hitting breakout status.⁵ While protein remains the non-negotiable, the second benefit is what sets it apart.

From Our Kitchen: Vital Pursuit™ Max Pro Cheese Lovers Pizza, Garden of Life^® Raw Organic Protein & Greens, Vital Proteins^® Collagen & Protein Shake

3. The Juicy Cup

Coffee has always carried subtle fruit notes and in 2027, those notes step into the spotlight. Younger drinkers treat the coffee cup as a place for discovery, and social conversation around fruit-flavored coffee has surged more than 23% over the past year.⁶ The appetite shows up in search too: searches for “banana bread lattes” are up 6,267% year over year, and 63% of Gen Z coffee drinkers say they prefer coffee with a lot of flavor.^7-8 Matcha is running the same play, with fruit-forward versions reshaping a category projected to reach $7.3 billion by 2030.⁹ Fruit used to be an overlooked tasting note. Now it’s the reason people order.

From Our Kitchen: natural bliss^® Caramelized Banana Bread Creamer, Coffee mate^® Coconut Crème Liquid Coffee Creamer

4. Global Drops a Pin

Consumers increasingly want to know the region, the preparation and the traditions a dish originates from — global cuisine has gone fully mainstream, with nearly three in four Gen Z and Millennial consumers counting an international dish among their comfort foods.¹⁰ That familiarity has moved the bar from country to “zip code”: 66% are interested in exploring regional variations within international cuisines, and the payoff is measurable, with regional Mexican preparations reporting 30% higher customer satisfaction scores than generic ones.^10-11 Global is the given. Specific is the draw.

From Our Kitchen: California Pizza Kitchen^® Crispy Thin Crust Sicilian Recipe Pizza, Maggi^® Indian Classic Masala Noodles, Minor’s Kitchen™ Creamy Korean BBQ Sauce

5. A Little Extra Goes a Long Way

The more life happens on a screen, the more people are craving sensorial experiences in real life, and consumers have stopped settling for good enough. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers say small extras and special touches make an experience feel more worth the cost,¹² and shoppers have stopped accepting the ordinary version of anything, with nearly half saying they’re hunting for new foods and flavors most or all of the time. They are putting a premium on appealing presentation, bold flavor and complex texture, choosing experiences that deliver an emotional and sensory payoff. In 2027, the extras get built in, not added on.

From Our Kitchen: DiGiorno^® Premium Pepperoni Wood Fired Style Crust Pizza, Nestlé^® Toll House^® Remix Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Refrigerated Cookie Dough, Nestlé^® Toll House^® Milk Chocolatey Flavored Snowflake Morsels, Minor’s Kitchen™ Spicy Chili Truffle Sauce

“The next chapter of food and beverage will be shaped by consumers who expect more from every choice they make,” Phillips said. “At Nestlé, we’re listening closely to those evolving expectations and translating them into what comes next — delivering more value in every bite, every sip and every experience.”

The full 2027 outlook, authored by Phillips, is available at nestleusa.com/stories.

About Nestlé USA
Nestlé USA is committed to unlocking the power of food and beverages to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. The company’s food and beverage portfolio includes some of the most recognizable brands in the United States, including Coffee mate, DiGiorno, Nescafé and Nestlé Toll House. Nestlé USA is part of Nestlé S.A., headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food and beverage company, which has been named among “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” by Fortune magazine for more than 25 consecutive years. For more information, visit nestleusa.com.

Contacts
Rachel Cooper, Weber Shandwick | 301-412-2180 | rachel.cooper@omc.com
Olivia Jones, Nestlé USA | 571-457-3843 | olivia.jones@us.nestle.com

Sources

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SOURCE Nestlé USA