From fiber-fed wellness to freezer glow-ups, playful produce to luxury water, here’s what will shape how we eat in 2026.

If 2025 was the warm-up, 2026 is the main event—full of bold flavors, smarter convenience, gut-loving ingredients, and a whole lot of fun. These are the trends we’re most excited about (and the ones starting to show up at Misfits Market already).

Fiber Overtakes Protein as the Wellness Priority

Protein has been the wellness darling for years, but consumers are officially shifting toward gut-friendly, metabolism-supporting fiber. Search interest is soaring, brands are reformulating, and fiber-rich everything—from pastas to bars to “natural GLP-1 boosters”—is showing up everywhere.

What separates the fad from the future? Fiber from whole, real foods. At Misfits Market, we’re seeing that shoppers want fiber that comes from fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes—not powders alone.

Brands to watch: 3 Farm Daughters, Kaizen, Poop Like A Champion

Find it at Misfits Market:

Zesty Z High Fiber Perfect Pita Chips: A fiber-forward snack that doesn’t have the usual “better-for-you” tradeoffs (think no flavor), these chips offer a familiar, satisfying snack experience while contributing meaningful fiber.
Ka’Chava All-In-One Nutrition Shakes: Fiber, protein, and micronutrients combine in a single, simplified format for consumers who look for fewer products that do more. Ka’Chava’s shakes appeal to those prioritizing fiber as part of a broader, whole-nutrition approach rather than focusing on protein alone.
Noka Superfood Smoothies: Noka Superfood Smoothies highlight the demand for plant-forward, fiber-rich nutrition in ultra-convenient formats. Made with fruits, vegetables, and seeds, these shelf-stable smoothies deliver fiber from whole-food sources, reinforcing the move toward gut support that feels accessible, portable, and everyday.

Coming in 2026:

Floura exemplifies this trend by combining nutrition, flavor, and sustainability in a single product. Founded by Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Floura creates FiberCrush bars made from upcycled produce, including fruit trimmings that would otherwise go to waste. Each colorful bar delivers 13 grams of fiber from 12 different plants, offering serious gut support while telling a clear story around flavor, fiber, and food waste reduction.

Playfully-Sized Produce and a New Take on Scale

At the 2025 New York Produce Show and Conference, size stood out as a major theme. Traditionally large produce items like pineapples, zucchini, apples, greens, and corn are increasingly offered in smaller formats, while traditionally small produce—especially berries—are getting bigger, with jumbo raspberries and oversized strawberries gaining attention. In 2026, this playful approach to scale signals a broader shift away from rigid visual standards and toward the idea that flavor, freshness, and quality can come in all shapes and sizes.

This shift celebrates what we’ve always believed at Misfits Market: good food comes in all shapes and sizes.

Elevated Convenience Becomes the Baseline

Consumers want food that’s delicious, thoughtful, and fast. Not “microwave sad,” not “meal kit complicated.” Just restaurant-level quality with minimal effort.

In 2026, “easy + incredible flavor” becomes the new standard—and frozen and pantry brands are leading the charge.

Find it at Misfits Market:

Odds & Ends Truffle Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli: Crafted in small batches by a family-owned pasta company. This delicious, limited-time offering is made using rescued trimmings from our Truffle Cheddar Cheese and mixed with real truffle flavoring and savory umami mushrooms.
Lentiful: Made with lentils, vegetables, and global seasonings, Lentiful’s shelf-stable soups and bowls deliver meaningful fiber and plant-based protein in a convenient, ready-to-heat format.
Heyday Canning: Heyday Canning Co. represents the rise of flavorful convenience in the pantry. By transforming beans and legumes into chef-crafted, ready-to-use staples, Heyday removes prep time while keeping flavor front and center. The brand reflects a broader shift toward convenience that supports real cooking with flavors like Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup, Enchilada Black Beans, and Harissa Lemon Chickpeas.

Check out our roundup of our most flavorful convenience foods.

Coming in 2026:

Odds & Ends Prepared Meals: Four new veg-forward, high-protein meals: Vegetarian Chili, Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, Gochujang Power Bowl, Yaki Udon.
Long Weekend Freeze-Dried Soups: Peak-season soups that “pause” produce at its best.
NOOISH Matzo Ball Soup: Shelf-stable comfort food perfected over years of R&D.
Jennie’s House Focaccia Mix: Bakery-quality bread at home—no skills required.
Cabi Japanese Sauces: Upcycled, globally inspired glazes and condiments.
Marsh Hen Mill Pink Unicorn Grits: Vibrant, heritage-grain convenience with soul.
Transcendence Coffee Algerian Baklava Syrup: High-flavor shortcuts for desserts + drinks.

Marshmallow Becomes the Flavor of the Moment

Marshmallow is hitting a nostalgic sweet spot: cozy, playful, and endlessly remixable. In 2026, expect marshmallows to show up in your coffee, in creamers, in bars, in gut-friendly homemade treats, and across better-for-you brands.

Notable sightings: Nutpods Toasted Marshmallow, Surrup Marshmallow Syrup, Chobani S’mores Creamer, Oreo S’mores.

Find it at Misfits Market:

Magic Spoon High-Protein Cereal Bars (S’mores!)
Magic Spoon Minis
S’mores Cereal reimagined for grown-ups

The Freezer Revolution Deepens

The freezer is going premium. Not just for veggies and ice cubes—but for artisanal pizza, globally-inspired bowls, restaurant-quality dumplings, and bakery-level bread.

Consumers want convenience without compromise, and the frozen aisle is stepping up.

Find it at Misfits Market:

La Rossi artisanal pizza (Margherita and Veggie)
Better Bowl (Chicken Chipotle Burrito Bowl, Chicken Coconut Curry Rice Bowl)
Izzio Artisan Bakery (Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Bacon & Gouda)
SUMM (Pork BBQ Bao Buns, Chicken Sesame Ginger Gyoza Dumplings)

Expect 2026 freezer aisles to be more adventurous, chef-driven, and discovery-oriented than ever.

Minimal Ingredients, Honest Packaging & Zero-Waste Storytelling

Consumers want transparency they can see. Like:

Five ingredients or fewer
Packaging that explains the sourcing
Upcycled stories front and center
“Nothing to hide” branding

This trend pairs clean-label clarity with sustainability—a major throughline for modern shoppers.

The Misfits Market POV: As food waste becomes a top consumer concern, brands that highlight regenerative sourcing, upcycled ingredients, or zero-waste processes will win attention.

Swicy (Sweet + Spicy) & Layered Heat Keep Growing

2026 continues the run of playful heat—hitting snacks, sauces, prepared foods, and condiments. Chili + mango. Spicy honey. Sichuan-inspired snacks. Fruity heat mashups.Consumers want fun flavor complexity—not “burn-your-face-off,” but layered, sweet, bright, craveable heat.

Farmer’s Cheese Takes Over

Move aside cottage cheese—farmer’s cheese is the next hero ingredient. Creamier, more versatile, and easier to cook with, it’s showing up in:

high-protein breakfasts
pasta fillings
dips
spreads
savory toast moments

Expect farmer’s cheese to become the new “it dairy.”

Non-Chocolate Candy Has Its Moment

With cocoa prices soaring and nostalgia trending, fruit-forward and gummy-based candies are about to boom.

Expect more:

Swedish-style candy shop formats
mix-your-own assortments
chewy, sour, fizzy innovations
fruit-puree candies
vegan formats

Brands to watch: Sockerbit, c’est BONBON (launching Jan), Bubs, Rolling Pin

This trend is all about bright flavor, fun textures, and a little escapism.

Fancy Water Goes Full Luxury

Water is no longer just…water. It’s branding, it’s experience.
Liquid Death cracked the space open, and 2026 brings the next wave of “elevated hydration.”

Expect: