Food trends for 2026 include sweet-and-spicy flavors, as well as bite-sized menu items. Cabbage and Indian food are gaining popularity on fast-casual and restaurant menus. Value meals and nostalgic foods, such as chicken tenders, remain important for fast-food chains. The new year brings a fresh crop of food trends, from sweet-and-spicy sauces to the hottest new vegetable hitting menus. We looked at trend reports from Tastewise, Pinterest, Yelp, and more to identify nine of the biggest food trends you can expect to see in 2026.
With "hot honey" in the name, you already know the carrots are going to be both sweet and spicy. Sugar, sea salt, honey, and molasses create that candied sweetness that our reviewer finds to "sit naturally on the carrots, so it doesn't come across as syrupy or artificial." Already off to such a promising start, the subtle heat only makes it better.
In this sweet-and-spicy skillet dinner, lean boneless pork chops and carrots are glossed in a simple yet impactful trio of honey, habanero chiles and lime. These honey-habanero pork chops with carrots are sweet and spicy in really cool ways. You start by charring some carrots in a hot, hot skillet. In the same skillet, you add your pork chops, which have been dusted with paprika, and you add two habanero chilies.