HelloFresh reveals what we'll be eating for dinner in the future

With tastes evolving, a changing climate and an increasing focus on sustainability, what foods can we expect to see as the next big thing?

HelloFresh has teamed up with Dr Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist, and Dr Joseph Poore, Climate Scientist at Oxford University to predict which foods will grace our dinner tables in the next 10+ years.

The top “new” foods include:

• Native UK crops: a return to heritage crops that were once part of a traditional diet but have fallen off the menu over the last 50 years or so. In the UK, we can expect to see salad leaves and flowers such as sorrell, ribwort and fat hen, alongside grains and seeds like buckwheat, rye and camelina.
• Ingredients which absorb greenhouse gases: Tree crops such as nuts, citrus fruits and olives remove greenhouse gases from the air, as do mussels and oysters, which absorb carbon in their shells. Other carbon absorbing ingredients that will become more common in our diets include seaweed, a staple in many Asian cuisines, and edible cacti, which can be used in everything from tacos to jam.
• Andean & African crops: Many Andean and African crops are ideally suited to an unpredictable climate and will become regulars on our dinnerplates in the years ahead. Kiwicha and kañihua, two Andean relatives of quinoa, and teff and fonio, both African “millet” grains, are likely to become the new “supergrains”. Meanwhile the bambara and marama bean could soon compete with lentils, chickpeas, and common beans.
• “Exotic” foods grown locally: Even in optimistic scenarios, global warming will result in crop shifts as growing conditions change. The UK will become more suitable for growing our beloved avocado, along with durum wheat(used for pasta), soya beans, chickpeas, okra and citrus fruits.

Over a third of Brits (37%) are worried foods of the future will taste bland, so to help combat the fear and inspire people to make sustainable changes to their diets today, chefs from HelloFresh have imagined a series of delicious recipes, based on the expert predictions.

1. Tempeh Buckwheat-Sorghum Ramen with Crunchy Mushrooms: Tempeh ramen with hearty buckwheat-sorghum noodles, crispy oyster mushrooms, toasted seeds and umami-packed sauce
2. No Waste Mushroom ‘Meatball’ Sorghum Bowl with Salsa:Mushroom ‘meatballs’ sorghum bowl, with (grow-your-own) spring onion and carrot top salsa and garlicky ‘no bin’ leaves
3. Quick and Local Kelp Noodle Stir-Fry with Vegan ‘Chicken’: Instant kelp noodle stir-fry with vegan “chicken” protein and locally-grown veggies
4. Carrot Top ‘Pesto’ Pasta with Aubergine and Chickpeas: Vibrant carrot top and spinach pesto pasta with soybean protein spaghetti, basil marinated aubergine and chickpea crisp
5. Savory Teff Galette with Dandelion Salad: Savory teff galette with plant-based ham, freeze-dried blue cheese and crunchy popped quinoa sprinkle served with a flowery herb salad of dandelions and purslanes and French pecans

"Our diets will probably look different in 2050, but perhaps not in the way that people might think. Climate change will mean that a broader range of drought and heat-resistant crops will need to be cultivated, some of which our ancestors would have grown. We'll also need to eat a diet lower in animal products to avert severe global warming; these foods will be good for our health and the planet", said Dr Joseph Poore, Climate Scientist at the University of Oxford.

“We can expect numerous changes in the way we live and eat in the future”, said Dr Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist. “Despite all the changes in how and what we eat, the experience of cooking and eating together will remain an important way to connect with our senses, our friends and family, and the natural world. AI will not be able to replace the joy of a home-cooked meal with the people we love.”

Philip Doran, CEO at HelloFresh, UK said: “At HelloFresh, we understand that the food we eat has a real impact on the environment. That’s why we offer a meal model designed to support a more thoughtful, less wasteful way of eating. Our Life Cycle Assessment showed that HelloFresh meals produce 25% fewer carbon emissions compared to similar meals made with supermarket ingredients. So, simply by switching to HelloFresh for midweek dinners, our customers know they can make a positive impact.”