12 Food Trends You'll Be Seeing More of This Year

While Sriracha has worked its way into the hearts of Americans, Theresa says that there's a new darling poised for stardom: jalapeño honey. "Fire-hot is still popular, but pairing it with the sweet is what's new. The mixing of the flavors — sweet and hot, like this chili-rubbed mango peach salsa — can really liven up your dish. Who doesn't like a hot sauce!?" Theresa also adds that new and unique contrasting flavor combos in general are in — like sour and salty — while the old standby of sweet and salty is on its way out.

Pickled and fermented foods are nothing new, but more and more people are opening up to the likes of sauerkraut and pickled everything to add a kick to their dishes — even eggs! "It's a healthy trend, too," says Theresa. And you can always experiment with making your own sauerkraut at home as a topping for a banh mi-style burger.

Getting out of your comfort zone is the name of the game in 2015, which also means subbing your favorite grain for something new. Theresa says, "Quinoa was a big thing, but it's almost over. Not that things like amaranth, millet, rye berries, and farro haven't been around, but I am seeing people cooking with them more and more. These grains add variety — like textures and color — to meals, especially grain bowls that are all the rage these days."

Kale is definitely riding its 15 minutes of fame and showing up in a lot of our favorite recipes, but it's time to make room for some other veggies. Theresa says, "Collared greens were there for a while, but broccoli leaves and cauliflower are being used more and more. It's even taking the place of potatoes." Theresa tosses broccoli leaves into a stir-fry, or she uses the leafy greens as a sandwich wrap. She also recommends cauliflower steaks, pizza doughs, and even adding it to mac and cheese for a bit more texture.

We're no strangers to coconut water, but Theresa predicts that coconuts are about to blow up the scene on an even bigger scale. "Coconut chips, dried fruits with shredded coconut, coconut flour, coconut aminos, and coconut oil [in particular] are healthy, but because coconut is delicious, it also feels like an indulgence. Take this grilled pineapple with coconut sorbet, for example!"

Say so long to that white flour you've got stocked up in your pantry. Theresa says, "I think a lot of this has to coincide with the gluten-free trend, but I'm seeing more and more rye, spelt, garbanzo, and sorghum flours taking the place of white or wheat flours."

The way people think about traditionally "bad" foods like butter, cheese, fats, and oils is changing for the better. Theresa says, "We want comfort food like a classic lasagna, grilled cheese, and burgers, but we also want to eat wholesome food, and the tide is turning for fats, oils, and butter. It's OK to eat, and we can have it, as long as it's in moderation. If you're worried about it, you can make things healthier by mixing full-fat cheese (like blue cheese or parmesan) to amp up the umami flavor with a lower-fat cheese and still get that taste."

Theresa notes "another flavor I'm seeing more and more of is bitter. In darker beers, chocolates, even greens, [it's] popping up, and people are OK with that because they're expanding their palates." Add to your flavor profile with a recipe for swiss chard with raisins and almonds.

Theresa confirmed what we already knew about bacon: "We're obsessed. Everything is bacon, and I don't think that trend will ever go away." She also mentions if you want a healthier twist on the bacon trend, you can half your bacon servings and sub the rest with Canadian bacon, which still gives you the smoky flavor you crave. And from here on out we're just going to go ahead and use this warm bacon vinaigrette on pretty much everything.

"Wraps, tacos, sandwiches, I think there's something about these things that lend themselves to be 'mashed up,' like blending two different ideas," says Theresa. Pizza tacos, anyone?

While a maple bacon doughnut may satisfy all your food cravings at once, you'll start to see maple used in ways other than a sweet topping to your short stack. Theresa says, "I'm seeing a lot of maple in places you wouldn't normally expect. Maple pork rubs, for example; different maple syrup flavors; maple in place of sugar, jerky, coffee, desserts, even salad dressings." And while maple may seem like an indulgence, Theresa says maple is usually thought of in the same way as coconut (that it's an indulgence), but it's actually a natural and healthy way to sweeten almost anything.

Chickpeas are hitting the scene in big ways, says Theresa, who reminds us that they can be used in various different ways. "We're talking chickpea chips, not just hummus. It's the new black bean." You heard it here first! Check out this recipe for roasted chickpeas that are irresistible.