17 Food Trends that Completely Missed the Mark and Why They Didn’T Resonate
In a culinary world obsessed with trends, not all innovations hit the right chord. Food Marketing Experts have weighed in on the most overhyped food trends, sharing their keen observations. From the gimmicky allure of gold-leaf foods to the underwhelming nature of Nature's Cereal, these seventeen insights reveal the industry's biggest misses. Discover why some trends just don't resonate.
- Gold-Leaf Foods Feel Gimmicky
- Extreme Spicy Chocolate Overwhelms Flavor
- Quick-Cooking Kits Ignore Reality
- Farm-To-Fit Meals Lack Warmth
- Rainbow Foods Taste Artificial
- Molecular Gastronomy Leaves You Hungry
- Charcoal Foods Taste Like Burnt Toast
- Massive Kitchen Gardens Hurt Resale
- Cloud Bread Prioritizes Looks Over Substance
- Functional Food Walls Create Moisture Issues
- Gourmet Meal Kits Disappoint Homeowners
- Detox Teas Offer Temporary Weight Loss
- Rainbow Food Trend Sacrifices Flavor
- Charcoal Foods Oversimplify Mental Health
- Elaborate Charcuterie Boards Often Go To Waste
- Nature's Cereal Lacks Substance
- Charcoal Foods Taste Awful
Gold-Leaf Foods Feel Gimmicky
One food trend that completely missed the mark for me is gold-leaf foods, which peaked a few years ago, around 2017 and 2018. While I appreciate the artistry behind it, I found that adding gold leaf to dishes often felt more like a gimmick than a genuine enhancement. Living in Chicago, where I love to explore new restaurants on weekends, I encountered gold-leaf-topped desserts and even extravagant burgers that looked stunning but lacked any real flavor or substance. It seemed like a distraction from the actual taste of the food, and honestly, I'd rather enjoy a delicious meal without the unnecessary bling. Plus, it felt a bit pretentious to pay extra for something that didn't enhance my dining experience. For me, the experience should be about flavor and satisfaction, not just flashy presentations.
Extreme Spicy Chocolate Overwhelms Flavor
Extreme spicy chocolate completely missed the mark for me. Most of the time, it's all about heat without flavor, which overwhelms rather than enhances the chocolate. I prefer using heirloom or flavorful pepper varieties that bring a pleasant, balanced heat.
At Harvest Chocolate, we work with local farmers who grow and dry beautiful peppers that highlight flavor over intensity. For example, we've created a bar with Urfa Chilis and Cinnamon, which has a warm, smoky depth, and our current Hot Cherry Bar features Michigan-grown hot cherry peppers and cherries for a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and fruity.
Quick-Cooking Kits Ignore Reality
I've seen those quick-cooking studio meal kits trend all over social media, but they really fell flat for me since they ignored the reality of tiny kitchen spaces and messy cleanup. After trying one myself and spending 40 minutes cleaning splatters off my walls, I learned that sometimes traditional cooking methods are popular for good reasons.
Farm-To-Fit Meals Lack Warmth
Having hosted countless home viewings over 23 years, I've watched the farm-to-fit meal-subscription trend completely miss the mark with families who value traditional home cooking. These pre-packaged meals often sacrifice the warmth and flexibility of cooking fresh ingredients, just to save a few minutes, which I've seen actually discourage people from developing real kitchen skills.
Rainbow Foods Taste Artificial
You know those rainbow-colored foods that took over Instagram a few years ago—like those unicorn frappuccinos and rainbow bagels? While they looked fantastic in photos, they tasted absolutely artificial and reminded me of eating food coloring rather than actual food. Generally speaking, I prefer when food trends focus on enhancing natural flavors rather than just creating something for social media.
Molecular Gastronomy Leaves You Hungry
That molecular-gastronomy phase, where everything was turned into foams and bubbles, really missed the mark for me, especially after trying it at a fancy Dallas restaurant. At the end of the meal, I realized I'd spent a fortune on tiny portions of deconstructed dishes that left me both confused and still hungry.
Charcoal Foods Taste Like Burnt Toast
I tried those charcoal-infused foods that were supposed to be detoxifying, but honestly, they just made everything taste like burnt toast and turned my mouth black. After spending $15 on a charcoal ice-cream cone that left me with gray teeth for hours, I learned my lesson about jumping on trendy food bandwagons just because they look cool on Instagram.
Massive Kitchen Gardens Hurt Resale
I've seen a lot of homeowners jumping on the massive kitchen-garden trend, tearing up their yards for Instagram-worthy vegetable plots that actually hurt their resale value. Based on my experience with buyers, most prefer low-maintenance landscaping with maybe a small herb garden, since the reality of maintaining a huge food garden is overwhelming for the average homeowner.
Cloud Bread Prioritizes Looks Over Substance
That cloud bread trend during the pandemic completely missed the mark for me—I spent an hour making what ended up being basically sweetened foam that disappeared in my mouth. Working in real estate has taught me that substance matters more than style, and this trendy food definitely prioritized looks over actual satisfaction or nutrition.
Functional Food Walls Create Moisture Issues
I've watched the functional-food-walls trend completely flop in luxury homes. These vertical gardens, meant for growing herbs and vegetables, looked amazing in magazines but created moisture issues and maintenance nightmares for our clients. After spending thousands installing them, most homeowners ended up removing them within a year due to mold concerns and difficulty maintaining proper lighting.
Gourmet Meal Kits Disappoint Homeowners
Working with homeowners daily, I noticed how those fancy 15-minute gourmet meal kits promised luxury but delivered disappointment in actual home kitchens. After seeing countless barely used meal-kit boxes during home cleanouts, I realized people prefer simple, reliable recipes that don't require special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients.
Detox Teas Offer Temporary Weight Loss
I've seen the trend of detox teas gaining popularity, especially in the context of rapid weight loss. However, in my 27 years of experience in health and wellness, I've found these detox teas often miss the mark. They promise quick fixes but usually result in temporary weight loss because they primarily act as diuretics and laxatives, leading to water and electrolyte loss rather than actual fat reduction.
At Smaller U Weight-Loss, we focus on sustainable lifestyle changes that address the root causes. Many clients who initially turned to detox teas for quick results realized the importance of a balanced diet rich in whole foods, which supports long-term health and stable metabolic function. Seeing clients succeed through real food and personalized coaching, rather than short-lived trends, has reinforced my belief in sustainable practices over quick fixes.
One client who had previously relied on detox teas came to me frustrated with repeated weight gain. Through a custom program focusing on nutrition and consistent physical activity, they achieved and maintained a healthy weight. Quick fixes like detox teas can detract from the core goal of lasting lifestyle change, which is essential for genuine health improvements.
Rainbow Food Trend Sacrifices Flavor
From a marketing perspective, I watched the 'rainbow food' trend crash and burn despite massive initial social media hype — those artificially-colored bagels and drinks performed terribly for our restaurant clients because they looked better on Instagram than they tasted. We found that customers quickly grew tired of sacrificing flavor for photos, with engagement dropping over 70% after just a few months.
Charcoal Foods Oversimplify Mental Health
I've noticed the charcoal-infused-everything trend really missed the mark, especially when it was marketed as a miracle detox solution for mental clarity and stress relief. As a mental health professional, I saw how this trend oversimplified the complex relationship between food and emotional well-being, potentially distracting people from seeking proper mental health support when they needed it.
Elaborate Charcuterie Boards Often Go To Waste
The viral trend of extremely elaborate charcuterie boards being essential for home staging totally missed the mark for me, especially after seeing how they often went to waste during open houses. While I love creating beautiful spaces, I found that simple, fresh-baked cookies actually created a more welcoming atmosphere and genuine connection with potential buyers.
Nature's Cereal Lacks Substance
1. Nature's Cereal - While fresh and undeniably photogenic, it lacked the substance I would expect from a meal, leaving me feeling like I'd merely indulged in a decorative berry display rather than a genuinely satiating dish.
2. Cottage Cheese (In Everything) - Although replete with nutritional virtue, the forced inclusion of cottage cheese in every conceivable recipe struck me as misguided. Its flavor clashed more often than it complemented, making for a dish that felt disjointed rather than harmonious.
3. Hwachae (Cold Korean Fruit Bowls) - Delightful as it appears, I found Hwachae more ornamental than satisfying. It neither refreshed nor truly indulged the senses, seeming instead like a culinary tableau that prioritizes appearance over fulfillment.
4. Pink Sauce - Eye-catching though it may be, I found its flavor inconsistent and ultimately unremarkable. Its appeal rested almost solely in its color, a factor which, for me, was insufficient to make it truly enjoyable.
5. Frozen Gummy Trend - A particularly irksome innovation, freezing transformed the once-pleasant chewiness of gummies into something altogether unyielding, effectively stripping the original treat of its essential appeal.
6. Fake Chicken - While I commend the concept, I was invariably left underwhelmed by the flavor and texture, both of which fell decidedly short of delivering an authentic culinary experience.
7. Butter in Coffee - This trend, alas, left me bereft of the smooth, invigorating richness I associate with coffee. Instead, I encountered an unwelcome greasy film that marred the overall experience, substituting bold flavor with oily heaviness.
8. Charcoal Foods - Despite their striking, inky appearance, charcoal-laden foods offered little in terms of actual taste. Furthermore, the purported health benefits seemed to render the trend more gimmick than gustatory.
9. Pancake Cereal - Although visually charming, the tiny pancakes swiftly became soggy, and the concept soon lost its appeal as either a satisfying breakfast or cereal, proving more form than function.
10. Cloud Bread - Whimsical though it may be, cloud bread's airy texture left me yearning for something more substantial. It served as a reminder that aesthetics alone do not suffice to make a trend meaningful or gratifying.
Charcoal Foods Taste Awful
I tried that charcoal-infused food trend that was huge last year—those black ice creams and lattes looked cool on Instagram but tasted absolutely awful and left my mouth feeling gritty. As someone who stages homes for a living, I've learned that just because something looks dramatic doesn't mean it actually enhances the experience, which definitely applies to both houses and food!
