‘Storytelling: Winning with Words’ leads the list of trends for 2020, with consumers increasingly interested in discovering the stories behind their food. When it comes to sweets and snacks, value can be found not only in ingredient provenance but also in small batch or artisanal production and even in a celebration of different cultures.

The top two items consumers look for on the labels are sugars and calories, both of which had an update with the new labeling rules.

Adults under age 40 are especially prone to value healthy, premium, and fresh foods, including organic produce and meat.

Diners will see many more alternatives in restaurants this year, as owners and operators adopt eco-friendly packaging, plant-based proteins, revamped classic cocktails, specialty burger blends (mushroom-beef burgers, etc.), and unique beef and pork cuts, which all made the list of top 10 trends.

“Each year, our team of registered dietitians, nutrition experts and consumer researchers takes a look at what we can expect in the coming year,” Joseph Clayton, president and CEO, said in a statement. “In 2020, we predict that topics surrounding sustainability, alternative foods and healthy diets will move in some unexpected directions.”

Plant-based nutrition is a major trend and shows no signs of slowing down. Innova Market Insights identified "Plant-Based Revolution" as one its Top Ten Trends for 2020 and that follows last year’s designation of "The Plant Kingdom" as a top 2019 trend.

In a book due out this spring, I introduce the concept of Leadering (vs Leadership), because a dynamic environment demands we shift from thinking of leadership as a static noun, to embracing it as a dynamic verb.

Everything's connected. That’s the central theme that emerged as Technomic considered the patterns, hurdles and opportunities that are poised to affect the restaurant and foodservice industry in 2020.

People are continuing to include more protein in their diets — at every consumption occasion and in higher gram-per-serving formulations.

SRG's Top 10 Cutting-Edge Trends Report is heading into the new decade.