Functional foods are popping up everywhere, from social media to supermarket shelves. But as conversations about these foods grow and influencers become more vocal about them, it’s easy to pass them off as just another fad.
While ingredients and foods that provide targeted health benefits are certainly trendy, there are strong signs that they’re going to become part and parcel of millions of meals.
With this in mind, it's time for functional foods to start appearing on more restaurant and bar menus.
Functional Foods Explained
While the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t have a legal definition of functional foods, these enriched or fortified foods can be described as offering health benefits and a reduced risk of disease.
That said, they alone can neither prevent nor cure medical ailments. Functional foods are also known as medical foods, nutraceuticals, pharmafoods, probiotics, and vitafoods. Some examples of different types of functional foods include:
- Probiotic foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, kefir, miso, and yogurt.
- Antioxidant-rich options, ranging from blueberries and dark chocolate to dragon fruit, green tea, and guava.
- Functional beverages such as vitamin-enhanced energy drinks, herbal teas, and kombucha.
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like chia seeds, flaxseeds, mackerel, and salmon.
- Fiber, which is abundant in beans, brown rice, lentils, mung beans, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Phytochemical-rich choices include green tea and red wine.
- Adaptogens present in foods like ginseng.
- Prebiotic sources, such as bananas, garlic, and onions.
Functional foods go beyond adding flavor and meeting basic nutritional needs. While more research is needed to prove the benefits of certain ingredients, many of these foods have been proven to support cognitive and mental health, the immune system, the digestive system, and cardiovascular health.
For example, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, while green tea and turmeric have been shown to reduce the risk of various cancers.
A Growing Market
The functional foods market in the U.S. shows potential for exceptional growth. In 2023, market revenue was estimated at $72,327.2 million. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% to reach $131,454.8 million by 2030.
This growth is driven by several different factors, including an awareness of the role of diet in managing health, increased visibility of functional foods, data-driven personalization, and the appearance of functional foods on menus.
Growing Awareness of Diet
One of the biggest reasons functional foods aren’t a passing trend is a growing awareness among Americans of the importance of diet in managing health. This gives renewed credence to the Hippocratic dictum, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”
Recent research shows that 59% of Americans describe their diet as somewhat healthy, and 52% say that the healthiness of food is a highly important consideration when deciding what to eat.
Additionally, a 2024 poll found that approximately 75% of those surveyed said they planned to eat healthier in 2025. Given the proven benefits of functional foods, it’s no stretch of the imagination to suggest that they have already started appearing on more shopping lists.
Increased Visibility of Functional Food
The increased visibility of functional food is another major driver of its adoption by more people. One factor at play here is the diversification of search methods through voice and visual search, which provides users with intuitive functional food suggestions and recommendations generated by AI.
Producers' marketing efforts are also increasing the visibility of these foods. The increased popularity of self-care and the overall growth of the wellness market have seen some food brands, such as Max Sweets, highlight their products’ positive mental and physical after-effects rather than their flavors or nutritional value.
Data-Driven Personalization
Wearables and the shift toward digital health may also be supporting the entrenchment of functional foods in our diets.
Many wearables already tell us when to eat and drink to maintain optimal health, but as they become more advanced, they may soon also be able to provide biometric data on factors such as blood sugar or cholesterol levels. This would allow users to receive feedback almost as soon as they’ve finished eating or drinking and enable them to measure the effects of their food and beverages on their bodies.
When users can see their bodies' responses, they have evidence of the food’s effects. This could play a major role in encouraging them to switch to healthier alternatives such as functional food.
Functional Food on Menus
Lastly, a growing number of restaurants are putting functional foods and highlighting their benefits on their menus. By producing tasty dishes with these ingredients, establishments such as Vitality Bowls, True Food Kitchen, and First Watch are contributing to a shifting awareness among consumers that functional foods aren’t strange items intended for the unwell. Instead, they’re nutritious and health-boosting ingredients that have their place in anyone’s daily diet.
Functional foods are also making their way into bars, with more bartenders using ingredients such as botanical-rich, alcohol-free spirits, fermented mixers, and adaptogenic herbs in cocktails. The use of functional food in bars isn’t limited to alcoholic beverages. Menus are starting to feature non-alcoholic options such as mocktails infused with lion’s mane mushroom or L-theanine.
Considering 64% of American legal-drinking-age Gen Zers hadn’t drunk alcohol in the six months leading up to May 2024, and 66% of Gen Zers follow a specific diet, bars adding functional foods to their cocktail and non-alcoholic menus are providing healthier alternatives while increasing awareness and appreciation of these ingredients.
Functional Foods: More Than a Trend
Functional foods are more than a fleeting trend. They’re becoming a staple in everyday diets, restaurant offerings, and bar menus. Driven by growing consumer awareness, advancements in personal health monitoring technology, and a wider cultural shift toward preventive health, these health-boosting foods are set to make a lasting impact on consumers.
As consumers continue to look for ingredients that support cognitive function, mental health, heart health, and digestion, the functional food market will only gain momentum. Whether a probiotic-rich yogurt, a lentil salad packed with fiber, or a botanical-infused mocktail, functional foods offer a smart and accessible way to support well-being.
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