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, according to Google Trends data, and sour category sales have climbed 309% since 2022, as mentioned in “The Power of Sour: How Tart and Tangy Flavors Are Taking Over” in September 2025, 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.

Examples of this trend from the Nestlé USA portfolio include Ne 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, according to Mintel’s “Food and Drink Functional and Nutritional Claims – U.S.,” June 2026. 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%, according to Google Trends data. The second benefit doesn’t have to be functional either, with searches for “protein comfort food” hitting breakout status, according to Google Trends data. While protein remains the non-negotiable, the second benefit is what sets it apart.

Examples of this trend from the Nestlé USA portfolio include 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, as noted in “Fruit’s Crashing the Coffee Party,” The Fresh Cup in May 2025. 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, as noted in “Peeling Back the Layers of the Banana Coffee Trend,” The Food Institute in July 2025, Mintel’s U.S., Kantar Profiles, May 2023. Matcha is running the same play, with fruit-forward versions reshaping a category projected to reach $7.3 billion by 2030, as noted in “Flavour trends 2026,” Food Navigator in April 2026. Fruit used to be an overlooked tasting note. Now it's the reason people order.

Examples of this trend from the Nestlé USA portfolio include 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, as noted in Mintel’s “Regional and International Cuisines – U.S.,” 2026. That familiarity has moved the bar from country to “zip code” as 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, as noted in Mintel’s “Regional and International Cuisines – U.S.,” 2026 and Technavio’s “Mexican Food Market Industry Analysis,” March 2026. Global is the given. Specific is the draw.

Examples of this trend from the Nestlé USA portfolio include 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 crave 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, as noted in Mintel’s “Restaurant Takeout and Delivery – U.S.,” 2026; 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.

Examples of this trend from the Nestlé USA portfolio include 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.”