10 Food Predictions for 2023

Every year Whole Foods shares their predictions for food and beverage trends for the upcoming year. Here is their Trend’s Council for top 10 for flavors, products and ingredients you will see on shelves in the upcoming year.

1. New Brew: Yaupon

Yaupon is a holly bush found in the Southern region of the U.S. and happens to be North America’s only known native caffeinated plant. Indigenous Americans brewed it into herbal tea and prepared it as a “black drink” consumed during purification rituals. With its mild, earthy flavor and unique benefits, yaupon has become increasingly popular on cocktail menus already.

2. Pulp With Purpose

One in three consumers uses a nondairy milk alternative at least once a week according to a recent poll from Morning Consult. But what about the often-wasted by-products of their production? TikTok creators are exploring ways to use leftover nut and oat pulp at home, and we’re now seeing an influx of brands begin to innovate in the space too. By upcycling by-products like oat, soy and almond pulp, brands are creating new products for the modern baker — think alternative flours, baking mixes and ready-to-eat sweets.

3. Produce Meets Pasta

First it was chickpea pasta, then cauliflower gnocchi. And who could forget zoodles? Now there's a new crop of plant-based pasta alternatives to help us all up our veggie and fruit intake, with ingredients like spaghetti squash, hearts of palm and even green bananas. Whether you’re looking for a special diet substitute, a way to incorporate more produce into your diet, or simply want to try something new — these new plant-powered pasta alternatives offer something for everyone.

4. The Great Date

In spring 2022, dates went viral on TikTok when a creator shared a Snickers-like recipe using the fruit. But the craze for dates isn’t new — they’ve been cultivated and enjoyed since the days of ancient Mesopotamia. Now, thousands of years later, the dehydrated fruit often referred to as “nature’s candy” is having a major renaissance as a sweetener — not only for at-home bakers, but also in the form of pastes and syrups, and hidden in everything from ketchup to overnight oats. With a classic caramel note we can all get behind, dates are having their moment.

4. The Great Date

In spring 2022, dates went viral on TikTok when a creator shared a Snickers-like recipe using the fruit. But the craze for dates isn’t new — they’ve been cultivated and enjoyed since the days of ancient Mesopotamia. Now, thousands of years later, the dehydrated fruit often referred to as “nature’s candy” is having a major renaissance as a sweetener — not only for at-home bakers, but also in the form of pastes and syrups, and hidden in everything from ketchup to overnight oats. With a classic caramel note we can all get behind, dates are having their moment.

5. A Poultry Revolution

More and more consumers believe chickens should be able to act like chickens, so they’re prioritizing welfare when shopping for both poultry and eggs. Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) is implementing a new initiative, The Better Chicken Project, to help improve the birds’ lives as well as the quality of the chicken we eat. Additionally, animal welfare is continuing to trend in chicken eggs, and we are here for it. Egg producers in the dairy case at Whole Foods Market are stretching beyond our better-than-cage-free Animal Welfare Standards for Laying Hens, with even more focus on outdoor time.

6. Help From Kelp

In its original form, kelp can absorb carbon in the atmosphere, making kelp farming more important than ever in the age of climate consciousness. Kelp grows quickly, doesn’t require freshwater or added nutrients, and is nutritious and versatile in food products — we’re seeing it in noodles, chips, fish-free “fish” sauce and beyond. As consumers seek out alternative ingredients and experiment with new flavors, kelp-inspired foods are gaining popularity.

7. Climate-Conscious Callouts

Climate consciousness is more relevant than ever, and as a result, brands are working to improve the impact of food and beverage production. Across our aisles, products are taking to their labels to talk about sustainability efforts in a time when consumers expect brands and retailers to do more related to carbon and climate. At Whole Foods Market, we have a team of experts who take the lead on setting our rigorous Quality Standards, providing guidance around this ever-evolving topic to help customers have confidence in what they see on product labels.

8. Retro Remix

Mac and cheese, pizza bites, classic old-school cereals and more — we all crave the occasional comfort of a meal from our childhood. According to Mintel Global Consumer research, 73% of US consumers enjoy things that remind them of their past, setting the stage for these nostalgic treats to go mainstream. The twist? Retro products are being reinvented with consideration for the wellness-conscious customer, creating the ultimate mash-up of throwback indulgences with better ingredients and special diets in mind.

9. Only the Finest for Fido

More than 23 million American households adopted a pet during the pandemic, according to the ASPCA. Now, with a return to the office for many pet parents, a focus on Fido’s wellness and palate is more important than ever. Pet supplements like bone broth have exploded onto the scene, and pet food recipes are dialing up the deliciousness. Plus, all pet food and supplements at Whole Foods Market are required to meet our industry-leading Quality Standards for ingredients, making well-being easy for our furry friends.

10. Avocado Oil Craze

A staple on our shelves for years, avocado oil is finally going mainstream in packaged products across the board. It has some big positive attributes — including high oleic fatty acid content and a high smoke point — to thank for its popularity. Taking the place of other oils like canola and safflower oil in snacks, mayonnaise, ready-to-eat meals and more, avocado oil is sure to stick around.

A Sun Valley icon closes the doors

Cristina you will be missed. Your cozy space, brunch on the patio, catered food and cakes will now be memories from the past 28 years. It was a pleasure working with you and your staff side by side at so many functions. You did it all and two fabulous cookbooks to boot! We wish you all the best in your future ventures.

Arrivederci Cristina!

Reinventing the Meal

Top caterers Callie and Maeme Rasberry focus on cooking, eating sustainably

Emily Jones, Idaho Mountain Express

June 23, 2021

It’s the end of slack season, a Thursday morning in late May, but there’s no sense of slacking off at Rasberrys Catering & Bistro in Ketchum.

Restaurant staff hurry in and out of the 411 Building on Fifth Street with large paper bags. In the building’s lower level, Callie Rasberry is busy fixing display jars of cookies and brownies behind the deli case; her sister, Maeme, is in the kitchen, checking on the delivery status of locally grown cucumbers, radishes and eggs.

“I haven’t been in here since you guys redid your space. It looks amazing,” one customer remarks.

Now in their 16th year of operation, the Rasberry sisters continue to chart new culinary territory while maintaining their signature Tex-Mex sandwiches, salads and soups.

“We’re always experimenting. There are just so many fun ideas to work with and new things to try in addition to our staples,” Maeme said.

Those staples include enchiladas, chile rellenos, street tacos made with homemade corn tortillas and spicy chicken posole, a traditional green-chile Mexican soup. Most sought after, though, is Rasberrys’ “Ol’ El Paso” sandwich with shredded pork, house-made pepper jack cheese and guacamole on a homemade ciabatta roll.

The sandwich recalls the sisters’ roots in the border city of El Paso, where they grew up tending to vegetables on the family farm and attending Montessori school just across the border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

“We like to say we’re from El Paso, Mexico,” Maeme joked. “We grew up speaking English and Spanish, eating Mexican cuisine.”

“And we still do every day,” Callie added.

The chefs—perhaps the valley’s best-known identical twins—have never been far apart. Both worked in restaurants in San Antonio in college, received business degrees at the University of Texas-San Antonio and moved to the Wood River Valley around 1999. The original plan was to help out their aunt, Annette Frehling, at her clothing store—Sisters in downtown Ketchum—for one month, Maeme recalled, but that month quickly turned into a year. In 2005, after various stints working at restaurants in the valley, she and Callie opened Rasberrys in its present location.

Walking into the restaurant’s basement dining room for the first time is a bit like stumbling down the rabbit hole into an Alice in Wonderland movie set. Black-and-white square tiles and a mirrored wall evoke a retro ’50s-diner feel, while wooden antiques and fresh-cut flowers add country-farmhouse vibes. Vintage chandeliers, French bistro tables and bright cerulean-and-coral accents further conjure up a distant, Mediterranean feel.

The Rasberrys began renovating their dining area last spring, adding counter space and more seating to meet increased lunchtime demand.

On many days, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes like cauliflower tabbouleh and eggplant moussaka fill their ever-changing display case. (Today, vegetarian gyros served with green tomato chutney are front and center.) The sisters also lean on Asian influences, churning out Indian-style samosas, Vietnamese bánh mì ramen bowls and black sesame mochi cakes. Twists on American classics, like Maeme’s ready-to-go barbecue chicken pot pie, are another common sight.

“We wanted the new space to allow people to come in and grab drinks and desserts, small prepared items to take to symphony concerts this summer,” Maeme said.

Both chefs attribute their success as “best” caterer for the fifth year in a row to their innate understanding of the farm-to-table path. To ensure peak flavor, they purchase the same ingredients from a broad selection of local vendors. Daily specials depend on what produce is coming in and what’s in season—“Basically, it’s whatever farmers bring in,” Maeme says.

Few things are more important to the Rasberry sisters than cooking and eating sustainably, and it follows that nearly everything on their menu can be traced back to nearby farms. The meat used in today’s pork tenderloin kabobs and Italian-sausage lasagna specials? From Agrarian Harvest in Buhl and Double Springs Ranch near Challis. Salad greens, tomatoes, and beans? From Bellevue’s Squash Blossom Farm and Lookout Farm, Itty Bitty Farms in Carey and Kasota Hydroponics in Hazelton.

The list goes on. Dairy comes in from Picabo Desert Farms and Old Almo Creamery in Almo; eggs from Harmony Hens near Twin Falls; flour from Hillside Grain in Bellevue; fruits and berries from Deer Creek Berry Farm or Kings Crown Organics in Elmore County; honey from Five Bee Hives in Hailey; and fresh herbs from the Rasberrys’ own gardens.

The goal, Maeme says, is to get the biggest nutritional bang for the buck.

“We like to do a lot of veggie-forward items so people can get more whole foods in their diet while still feeling like they’re getting meat—lots of whole lentils, oats, rice, carrots and herbs, so you’re not just concentrating on starchy fillers,” she said.

This summer, Callie, Maeme and their extended families will go to Deer Creek Berry Farm in Pine, Idaho—as always—to pick over 30 pounds of blueberries. You might just find that blueberry juice in Rasberrys’ homemade sodas or Maeme’s small-batch ice cream.

In 2020, the business lost over 90% of its catering events due to COVID-19, Callie noted.

“I remember going through the calendar with a red marker and X-ing out each date,” she said. “Like, ‘OK, this one got corona-ed. And that one, too.’”

With the pandemic nearing its end, though, the Rasberrys are now looking at a busy summer lineup of weddings and private dinner parties.

“We customize each menu specifically for each client, for their individual needs and wants. We don’t have set menus where you say, ‘I want No. 1,’” Maeme said. “It’s whatever catches your eye.”