Social Media platforms’ purpose is to give people space where they can express themselves. There, they can share their talents and passions. As a result, social media serves as an avenue for people who love the same things to be connected. And what better topic is there to connect everyone other than food?

Brandwatch, a pioneering digital consumer intelligence company, has conducted a study to identify the top consumer trends around food alternatives. The analysis was done by looking at the share of voice. To achieve this goal, Brandwatch observed a random smaller sample or 33% of the overall conversation on Twitter from 2019 to 2020.

The top five alternative food trends based on the study are as follows. 

#01 – Eating Responsibly

Nowadays, people are very conscious of what they eat. They are mindful of how the food will affect their body and health. Will they make them fat or slim them down? They are also wary about where the food came from and what they are made of. Perhaps this is why special diets, specifically Veganism and Vegetarianism, have become a popular topic among discussions among your most real Followers on Twitter. 

These topics gave birth to two popular diet trends: eating for awareness and eating with a higher purpose. 

Veganism is a lifestyle that attempts to exclude any form of animal exploitation. The trend of eating for awareness stemmed from this cause. It even started a challenge called Veganuary- which encourages people to commit to veganism for the whole month of January. And since people love monthly internet challenges like this, they took a bite.

Eating with a higher purpose, on the other hand, encourages Twitter Followers to adopt veganism to reduce their carbon footprint. It serves as an act to help with humanity’s fight against global warming.

#02 – Dairy Alternatives

Milk, being nutrient-packed, is one of the healthiest drinks we can find. However, sometimes regular milk is not the best choice for a person, especially for people who are lactose intolerant. These issues led to several discussions in finding the best alternative to dairy milk. 

In addition to those reasons, milk alternatives are also said to be more sustainable. However, this claim has resulted in controversy regarding the topic. Some people raised concerns about how the production of these alternatives can have undesirable effects on the environment. If anything, this conflict has made the trend even more popular. 

Amid this chaos, one milk alternative has triumphed. Oat Milk, made simply from blending rolled oats and water, became the center of attention. It saw the highest growth in online discussions, with an increase of 66% Year over Year (YoY).

#03 – Meat Substitutes

Since veganism and vegetarianism are on the rise, it is no surprise that Twitter Followers would be looking for meat alternatives. They still want to enjoy their favorite recipes, though this time, without the meat. Thankfully, meat substitutes exist. These are plant-based ingredients that try to mimic the aesthetics and flavors of real meat. People’s curiosity about what these things are made the topic trending on Twitter. One meat substitute, in particular, has seen a 42% increase YoY in its share of voice. It is no other than Pea protein. Other substitutes like tofu, jackfruit, and tempeh have also gained more popularity. 

As a result of this trend, the demand for these kinds of food became higher. This circumstance opened up opportunities for restaurants and fast-food chains. They answered that by including vegan and vegetarian options on their menu. This fact only shows how much attention meat substitutes are gaining these days.

#04 – Superfoods

Superfoods are food that contains only a few calories, albeit their high nutritional contents. They have different vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for our health. This fact is more than enough reason why so many people that rely on listening to and fostering real Twitter Followers are trying to incorporate them into their diets.

Some of the most popular superfoods are avocado, berries, eggs, nuts, and salmon. The Twitter community has found for all of them.

Take avocado as an example. It is a superfruit that contains nutrients but, most notably, healthy fats. Avocado is often mentioned in discussions about premium salads, tacos, and toasts.

Berries, on the other hand, contain fiber and antioxidants, which are good against heart disease and some types of cancer. The most common berries are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and blackberries. They are commonly added to desserts, salads, and oatmeals.

Again, this generation is concerned about their health more than ever. Subsequently, topics revolving around superfoods became more relevant. Prime examples are flax seeds. Flax seeds’ share of voice has seen an impressive increase of 91% YoY. Similarly, other superfoods have grown by 74% compared to what they had last year.

#05 – Chips

This topic did not come up as a surprise. After all, everybody loves chips. Taking a crunchy bite from these thinly sliced potatoes is so heavenly. Add that to their subtle but satisfying flavor, and they’re irresistible. Undeniably, potato chips are one of the best snacks. We are not here to talk about potatoes, though. We are talking about alternatives. Even potato chips’ deliciousness is not enough to keep people from going for healthier alternatives.

Vegetable and legume-based crisps like lentils, kale, and sweet potato seem to be popular choices. The overall share of these alternatives’ voices went up 24% year over year.

We can have the surging popularity of air fryers accountable for that. Air fryers are small appliances that mimic the act of deep-frying but uses hot air and less oil instead. As a result, they create chips that are healthier than traditional ones. We also cannot discount its reputation for creating delicious kale chips. 

Rice crackers, another form of snacks, are also gaining popularity in terms of Twitter followers. The share of voice for them went up 19% year over year.

Take-out for Your Real Twitter Followers

Different people have different beliefs. Likewise, they have unique preferences and different tastes in food. Some people stick to the traditional route, while some look for alternatives. But at the end of the day, even with these dissimilarities, food still manages to bring us together. And it is amazing how the use of social media like Twitter can help us have a deeper understanding of these topics.