Peanut butter is returning as consumers combine nostalgic comfort with protein-rich everyday nutrition. The Evolution of Food: Peanut Butter Is Becoming a Modern Super Staple Peanut butter is making a remarkable comeback as one of 2026's most versatile food ingredients. Once viewed primarily as a childhood favourite, it is increasingly appearing in protein snacks, smoothies, desserts, breakfast products, beverages, and functional foods. Its renewed popularity reflects changin

Consumers Are Choosing Products That Fit Their Lifestyle Rather Than Their Loyalty Brand loyalty is becoming more selective. Consumers increasingly evaluate products based on the value they deliver rather than the strength of the brand behind them. Function is replacing familiarity. Nutrition, convenience, affordability, portion size, and eating occasions now influence purchasing decisions more than brand recognition alone. Consumers are becoming more intentional. Busy lifest

Protein Is Becoming The Default Upgrade Across Food Categories The launch of Honey Nut Cheerios Protein reflects a broader transformation in food innovation. Consumers increasingly expect everyday products to deliver functional benefits alongside taste, convenience, and familiarity. Rather than seeking specialized nutrition products, many consumers now prefer nutritional improvements embedded within the foods they already consume. This shift is changing how brands approach pr

Consumers Are Compressing Breakfast and Coffee Into One Functional Experience Modern breakfast culture is increasingly shifting away from multi-step morning routines toward functional convenience breakfasts built around portability, protein, caffeine cues, and no-prep efficiency. The launch of MUSH Mocha Latte Protein Overnight Oats reflects this transformation by combining breakfast, coffee culture, and functional nutrition into one grab-and-go product. Rather than separatin

The Trend Where a Pharmaceutical Side Effect Becomes an FMCG Growth Signal GLP-1 medications were designed to manage weight and blood sugar — nobody anticipated they would become a catalyst for the breath-freshening category. Yet Hershey's Ice Breakers brand posted over 8% retail sales growth in a single quarter, with the company explicitly linking the lift to GLP-1 adoption tailwinds. The mechanism is straightforward: Ozempic and Wegovy users report dry mouth, altered saliva

Food Has Become a Wellness System, Not Just Sustenance Expo West 2026 confirmed what Mintel has been tracking for years — consumers want food that makes them feel better, physically and emotionally, at every level of function. Seven dominant themes emerged: fiber's renaissance, digestive wellness going mainstream, muscle gain replacing weight loss, real-food ingredient expectations, texture as sensory differentiator, economic strain driving comfort, and mood as a design princ