As we get our teeth into 2026, fmcg brands find themselves in familiar territory: a marketplace saturated with trends that promise relevance, growth and cultural currency. Pistachio is everywhere, matcha’s gone mainstream, and protein and ‘0%’ claims dominate shelves. Some of these signal genuine, long-term shifts in consumer behaviour while others are already showing signs of fatigue.
Starting the new year, the question for marketers shouldn’t be “which trends are hot right now?” but “which trends are relevant to us, and how do we use them without eroding what makes our brands distinctive?”
Health, wellness and evolving trends
Several health-led trends that defined 2025 aren’t fading, they’re evolving. The biggest shift isn’t any single ingredient, but rather a broader reframing of food as something closer to medicine.
The ripple effects of GLP-1 medications are a prime example. As more consumers adapt to smaller portions and snack-based routines, expectations of food and drink are changing. People want products that work harder for them: higher protein, clearer nutritional value, and formats that fit into new routines. This is a structural shift, not a fad.
Protein, to nobody’s surprise, stays, but not in the way it existed five years ago. Bars and shakes have had their time and consumers can now choose from a selection of high-protein cereals, desserts, ready-to-drink beverages and snacks. Protein has left gym culture behind and moved into everyday nutrition conversations. By 2026, it won’t feel like a trend at all – it’ll be a minimum dietary requirement.
Gut health is following a similar trajectory. Fibre-focused eating, prebiotics and digestive support are spreading far beyond yoghurts and supplements into categories like sodas and snacks. Consumers aren’t talking about “gut health” in clinical terms anymore, they’re talking about feeling better, lighter and more balanced. The opportunity here is massive, but only if brands avoid turning gut health into another abstract badge on pack with no sensory payoff.
Then there’s the growing avoidance of ultra-processed foods, as cleaner eating moves away from a wellness conversation towards becoming a regulatory and visual one. Brands are already responding by stripping back design, showing ingredients more honestly and leaning into natural flavour cues. Expect that to accelerate into 2026.
Blurred lines
Trends work best when they reinforce product truth with a strong culinary identity that’s rooted in product truth and culture. The brands that win don’t just say ‘high-protein’, they show you why it’s deliciously unique to their product. They don’t just print ‘gut-friendly’ on the front, they design flavour, texture and format around that benefit.
The line between food and medicine may be blurring, but no one is willing to compromise on taste.
If there’s one principle to carry into 2026, it’s this: lead with flavour, then land function. Packaging is where this is most visible. A smart recent example is Surreal’s packaging redesign. The brand moved away from collage-style graphics and put a bowl of cereal front and centre. This wasn’t a slight cosmetic tweak, it was a strategic decision to sell flavour and make the product instantly clear.
Flavour cues convince shoppers to put their product in the basket. Showing real food matters because consumers don’t shop rationally at first. If your packaging looks great but the flavour experience doesn’t deliver, you won’t get a second chance. And if your product tastes great but looks like every other ‘functional’ item on the shelf, you probably won’t get even a first look.
Protein, gut health, GLP-1-friendly diets and clean eating are here for the long haul. Invest in and double down on distinctive brand assets (colour, typography, tone of voice and visual cues) but also protect what makes your brand recognisable, and remember that trends should sit on top of identity, not replace it.
Above all, design function into flavour. The winners of 2026 will be the brands that understand health doesn’t have to look or taste like sacrifice. Food can be functional and joyful. Nutritional and indulgent. Clear and characterful.
Trends will keep coming. The challenge, and opportunity, is knowing how to harness them. Anyone can spot a trend. The trick is knowing what to do with them.
Adrian Teixeira-Porrescas is senior art director at Chuck Studios
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