The ball has dropped, and your new year resolutions are in full effect. If you’re the kind of person that starts the new year off with healthy eating goals and a committed work-out routine, then you’ll love these produce trends for 2020 provided by Melissa’s marketing representative, Robert Schueller.
Schueller doesn’t need a crystal ball to see into the future and predict what we’ll be eating this year. Instead, he uses proprietary software from Melissa’s to see what items have been hot year-over-year on a national level through retailer engagement.
If you haven’t already been eating Schueller’s produce picks, then now is a perfect time to start implementing these ingredients into your favorite recipes!
For the seasonal items, set a calendar reminder to alert you when they become available. Here’s a fun insider produce tip: for best flavor, plan to shop during the middle of the season.
For produce trends with year-round availability, just hop into your athleisure-wear and head on over to the grocery store with this super fresh shopping list!
If your regular grocery stores don’t already carry some of these items, just let the produce manager know, and they can start bringing them in for you. Are you curious about how some of these things taste or want more information? Just look at the produce manager as your in-store fruit and vegetable guru – they can offer education, culinary inspo and even samples!
Don’t forget to look for Melissa’s logo throughout the department to make sure you’re getting the best quality and flavor available. After you bring home your bounty of fresh produce, you can visit their website at melissas.com for some delicious recipes.
Convenience Trends
On-the-go convenience, kitchen hacks and snacking are trends that have ultimately become a way of life – a lifestyle that just won’t quit. When you’re on-the-go, but you don’t want to sacrifice your health, the items below offer just what you need – a shortcut to nutrition and living your best life. Melissa’s Steamed Line is perfect for new moms, college kids and seniors. There are a variety of different produce items available in the steamed line, like chickpeas and butternut squash. It’s basically like having a sous chef in your kitchen who sous-vide cooks and vacuum seals prepped veggies for you to have ready in the fridge when you’re ready to eat. We seriously cannot get enough of these!
- Black-eyed Peas
- Lentils
- Beets
- Clean Snax®
- Melissa’s Hollandaise Sauce
- Jicama Wraps
- Jackfruit Pods
- Melissa’s potato trays
- Diced & Whole Cactus Leaves
Fruits
Move over Cavendish bananas; our palates are looking for something new to excite our taste buds. For example, why have a Hass when you can have a Tropical Avocado? This creamy fruit offers more to love with its large size. Earlier, we talked about loving convenience, and the Tropical Avocado provides that and so much more. By being a more substantial size fruit, you only need to buy one avo vs. two. Just by changing the variety you purchase, you cut your chances of having #avocadohand in half – you’re welcome. Spend less time prepping and more time enjoying in ceviche, salads and more.
- Starfruit
- Tropical Avocados
- Sapūrana Mango
- Charentais Melons
- Rambutans
- Jackfruit
Specialty Vegetables
Quality. Quality. Quality. We cannot stress this enough. Maybe you’re not currently an adventurous produce consumer – that’s ok! Just by committing to purchase quality vs. the lowest price in the produce department is going to elevate your future eating experiences. Let flavor be the decision-maker in this department. At the end of the day, you’re not saving any money if it doesn’t taste good, and you end up letting it go bad and have to throw it away. Your discount onion will lose whenever you compare it to a shallot. The same can be said for potatoes. Remember the note about living your best life (see above)? 2020 food trends
- Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes
- PeeWee Ruby Gold® Potatoes
- PeeWee Dutch Yellow® Potatoes
- Mini Cucumbers
- Shallots
- Celery Root
- Turmeric
Seasonal Items 2020 food trends
Seasonal items are the best! Whether they bring you tropical vibes in the dead of winter or remind you that seasons change when you live in a place that’s always 75° and sunny (the struggle is real), seasonal produce gives you a gentle nudge to change up your eating routine every couple of months. We’re huge fans and have countdown calendars for several of the items listed below. Like the Ojai Pixie Tangerines – these are unlike any other tangerine you’ve tasted. And if you’ve tried a Pixie before, but they weren’t from Ojai, that’s not what we’re talking about. This citrus is oh so sweet, seedless and easy to peel. One season and you’re converted. See you later Cuties® – it’s been real. You go from a tangerine eating experience that felt more like rolling the dice to quality that is always consistent. You pay a little more for quality – just like fashion! 2020 food trends
- Butterscotch™ Pears (Nov. – Feb.)
- Passion Fruit (Sept. – Dec., Feb. – June)
- Kumquats (Sept. – Oct., Dec. – July)
- Ojai Pixie Tangerines (March – May)
- Hatch Peppers (Aug. – Sept.)
- Tree-Ripened Mangoes (May – July (Mexico), Dec. – March (Australia))
For more information on the produce picks listed above, just click the links, or send us a DM on social. Pinterest deep-dives are also encouraged. Happy New Year! 2020 food trends
