Whole Foods predicts plant-based trends for summer

Plant-based foods continue to grow in popularity and Whole Foods Market is calling out the trends it says are going to takeover backyard barbecues and picnic baskets this summer.

The Amazon-owned grocery retailer has been predicting food and beverage trends for the past six years, but has turned its focus to plant-based products in particular as brands continue to innovate in the space and a growing number of consumers purchase them. In fact, according to a recent study by The Hartman Group, nearly half (48%) of consumers look for products labelled as “plant-based.”

“Plant-based is the grocery category to watch right now as brands continue to innovate by using new ingredients and processes that make plant-based products exciting for shoppers,” said Parker Brody, senior global category merchant for plant-based at Whole Foods Market, in a press release.

For its summer predictions, Whole Foods’ Trends Council “pooled members’ industry knowledge, product-sourcing expertise and hands-on work with emerging and existing plant-forward brands to inform the predictions,” according to the grocer.

Here’s a look at the top five plant-based trends for summer: