Really good list of Top 20 Food Trends posted recently at Restaurant News (www.nrn.com):

1 Locally grown produce
2 Locally sourced meats and seafood
3 Sustainability
4 Bites size/mini desserts
5 Locally produced wine and beer
6 Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
7 Half portions. Smaller portion for a smaller price
8 Farm/estate-branded ingredients
9 Gluten-free/food allergy conscious foods
10 Sustainable seafood
11 Super-fruits (acai, goji, mangosteen, purslane et al)
12 Organic produce
13 Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
14 Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
15 Nutrition/health
16 Simplicity/back to basis
17 Regional ethnic cuisines
18 Non-traditional fish (Arctic Char, barramundi etc)
19 New cuts of meat
20 Fruit/vegetable children’s side items

My takeaways:

– Localism is getting big (incl. sustainable)
– Health/well-being is still huge
– Why isn’t convenience/time saving on this list?

Ref: National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2010 Chef Survey (US)