Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council unveiled its top 10 forcasted trends.

According to the grocer, the council is comprised of more than 50 team members “ranging from foragers and buyers to culinary experts” who “develop these trend predictions each year through a combination of deep industry experience, keen observation of consumer preferences, and collaborative sessions with emerging and established brands.”

Here are the trends from Whole Foods that are most relevant in the convenience channel:

• International snacking: According to Whole Foods, snacks are a place to mix mass appeal and something new, such as “traditional international snacks like chamoy candy and new combinations like mango sticky rice chips or a chili crunch oil edamame and nut mix.”
• Dumplings: Long-standing staples of many cuisines, dumplings offer a mix of versatility, ease and affordability.
• Crunch: “From crispy grains and granola to sprouted and fermented nuts to roasted chickpeas and mushroom chips—consumers are increasingly reaching for these items to enhance meals and add texture to breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Whole Foods reports, with brands creating crunchier versions of existing products.
• Hydration: “Reusable water bottle culture is upon us, but consumers want more from their H2O these days, seeking added electrolytes and hydration in more innovative forms. It’s impossible to ignore the trend at food and beverage trade shows, where you’ll find popsicles with electrolytes, sparkling coconut water, chlorophyll water and even protein water,” according to Whole Foods. If you were at the NACS Show earlier this month, you’ll agree.
• Tea: Is this most traditional of beverages ready for a boom? Whole Foods identifies tea as an increasingly popular flavor in other food items as well as new steeping formats and a wave of innovative packaged products.
• Sourdough: Whole Foods identifies “pizza crusts, flatbreads, brownies, crackers, chocolate and more” as products that now contain sourdough. Whole Foods’ bakery is launching a sourdough pumpkin turmeric bread.
• Protein power-up: “Consumers are looking to incorporate more protein in their diet beyond traditional powders and bars,” Whole Foods reports, a trend that was also in evidence at the recent NACS Show.

Want more flavor trends? Read the NACS Magazine cover story from October, “Flavor Forward.”