The new year offers an ideal time to hit refresh on your menu and experiment with new flavor profiles. At this time of year when consumers are balancing comfort food cravings with New Year’s resolutions, trends that balance wellness and craveability are in high demand.

That said, the following areas are ripe for menu innovation the whole year round, with each comprising building blocks that can be modified to fit the season. And since a full menu overhaul is rarely feasible—in terms of both time and budget—we’ve distilled these ideas down to four concrete tips, so you can explore them at your own pace.

1

Warm up to Winter Snugglers

By donning a health halo, familiar cold-weather favorites win over consumers seeking wholesome, plant-forward offerings that still bring a sense of comfort food indulgence. Purées and powders of fresh produce, as well as floral and herbal enhancers, bring concentrated flavors that can contrast, deepen or lighten soups, chili and stews. Trending grains like amaranth, red quinoa, fonio and buckwheat provide heartiness without the heaviness.

TRY THIS

• Turkish Lentil Soup — Brothy red lentil and Swiss chard soup + mini cig kofte (using a bulgur-lamb combination) + preserved lemon gremolata
• Mole Bean Chili — Black bean–butternut squash chile + mole poblano + dark cherries + chorizo crema
• Calabrian Beefy Mushroom Stew — Cremini-oyster-portobello mushroom stew with beef broth + Calabrian chile pesto + roasted golden potato slices

2

Tap into Functional Sippers

Healthful beverages and flavorful hydration will remain a growth category throughout 2024. Consumer preferences continue to move past general wellness and into ingredients that support specific functional benefits and align with their self-care. Good-for-you boosters, botanicals, spice-forward infusions, among others, will differentiate your menu offerings from the pack.

TRY THIS

• Rooibos Golden Latte Smoothie — Coconut milk + carrot juice + rooibos tea + mango + banana + ginger + turmeric + cardamom + cinnamon + black pepper
• Spiced Apple Tepache — Classic pineapple tepache + fresh-pressed apple cider + white rum + ginger + cloves
• Plumnada (inspired by mangonada) — Plum-cardamom sorbet + vanilla-roasted plum wedges with natural syrup + apricot chamoy + Hawaiian plum powder

3

Explore Fusion BBQ

This year is the time to broaden consumers’ love for barbecue—both the flavor and the cooking method. Flavor additions change the overall palate while different meats, fish, vegetables and fruits lighten the end result. Restaurants can also heighten culinary experiences via complex flavor profiles that combine engaging attributes from American regional barbecue with Caribbean, South American, Asian or Middle Eastern nuances.

TRY THIS

• Porkalicious Bun — Pulled pork tossed in spiced shawarma butter + pork belly burnt ends tossed in pomegranate molasses + aioli + toasted New England–style hot dog bun
• Crispy Jackfruit Q Taco — Tempura pulled jackfruit + creamy pickled red onion slaw + serrano-barbecue sauce + black sesame flour tortilla
• Caribbean-Tex Smokehouse Bowl — Slow-oak-smoked beef brisket sausage with dry rub + peanut-coconut creamed spinach + yellow rice + habanero-fried onion rings

4

Embrace Little Luxuries Culture

Indulgent, high-quality bites are a vehicle to showcase the joy of flavor and the element of surprise. Small but not insignificant, these offerings can capture the hearts and palates of consumers longing for more permissible luxuries in 2024. Charm patrons with a surprise flavor layering, sophisticated richness, upscale addition or unexpected combination that takes appetizers, bar snacks and treats to new levels of enjoyment.

TRY THIS

• Brunch Shrimp — “Hot Thai” everything bagel spice–fried shrimp + brown butter-lime hollandaise dipping sauce
• Swicy Edamame Snacker — Blanched whole edamame + coating of raspberry powder-tajin seasoning
• Lush Cake — Classic New York cheesecake slice + candied ginger graham cracker crust + blackberry-miso sauce