You can throw away your tea leaves and tarot cards because the best way to predict the future is right in front of you–on your plate. What people want in life, they also crave from their food. And 2024 has been a year of opposing forces.

McKinney’s Annual Food Trends Report, Vol. 15 examines how cultural trends are shaping food preferences, exploring the reasons why certain foods are “in” and others are “out.” Through a 15-year partnership with the Institute of Culinary Education, which has expanded to include NYU and Columbia University, McKinney has been publishing an annual report on food and beverage trends since 2009 that has informed the curriculum of those institutions as well as our work for clients.