These are the four most important food trends of 2025
What concerns us as Dutch people influences our eating habits and the way we order food. This is clear from the annual Food Trends report by Thuisbezorgd.nl, which is based on anonymized data from 6 million customers and 14,000 affiliated partners. The most important food trends of 2025 demonstrate this.
In 2025, there will be even more focus on the origin of our food, new eating traditions and the desire for light and nutritious meals in the evening. Alongside the most important trends for the coming year, the report also provides a complete overview of ordering behavior in the Netherlands. Spoiler: the açai bowl was the favorite breakfast this year.
4 important food trends
New trends often emerge in big cities, where different cultures and generations come together and inspire one another. Based on insights from food experts, statistics from a record 14,000 affiliated partners and 6 million users in the Netherlands, Thuisbezorgd.nl shares the most notable trends for 2025:
Trend 1: The honest kitchen
- The honest kitchen: we need simplicity and are curious about the origins of our food.
We want to return to basics. There is a desire for simplicity, but also curiosity about where our food comes from, so we can gain more control over what we put into our bodies. People are talking about ‘culinary honesty’. We make conscious choices about what we eat and would like help with those choices. Restaurants are noticing that people are increasingly asking for clarification about ingredients. Packaging and labels are being analyzed more and more, and people are also learning more about ingredients, nutritional values and the origin of products. Where were the vegetables grown, and where was the food processed?
The ‘honest kitchen’ is also a reaction to a world full of increasing misinformation—from fraudulent eggs in supermarkets and other misleading supermarket products.
The conscious choices made by chefs and consumers also mean that we are more often choosing meals with fewer ingredients. After all, we want to keep track of what we put into our bodies, and that is easier with a ‘cleaner’ ingredient list that is shorter, easier to understand or more sustainable.
Trend 2: The ‘self-care’ diet
- The ‘self-care’ diet: we consume to promote our personal well-being, fully adapted to our individual needs.
The way we approach healthy eating is changing. For some time now, we have been working to promote our personal well-being by consuming more consciously, moderating our intake, choosing healthier options and paying attention to ingredients that fit a diet. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach here either, because everyone’s body and life are different. In 2025, we expect this development to deepen further.
The rise of individualized nutrition, such as personalized takeaway meals that suit a particular diet and customized meals, is taking center stage. The emergence of food coach apps helps us find the best quantities, ingredients and meals to suit our workouts or long days. At the same time, we see chefs offering accessible options with an emphasis on taste and enjoyment, using small, healthy substitutions for ‘traditional’ ingredients to help consumers feel good. Some recipe adaptations are a direct result of health issues, such as food allergies and intolerances.
But ‘self-care’ is increasingly about other aspects too, such as beauty and stress relief. We are seeing snacks, drinks and meal replacements enriched with essential nutrients, as well as tasty, nutrient-packed products focused on slow-release carbohydrates, plenty of protein, healthy fats, added fiber and less sugar.
Trend 3: Evening and nightlife
- Evening and nightlife: the 9-to-5 lifestyle is becoming less common, increasing demand for lighter meals later in the day.
Our daily routines are increasingly shifting toward later hours. While Dutch people used to be known for sitting down to an AVG meal at 6:00 p.m., we are now seeing this change. This shift in lifestyle affects the timing of our meals, drinks, leisure activities and work. We sometimes work later, exercise more often late in the evening, or schedule social occasions between work and dinner.
Naturally, a different rhythm also affects our eating habits. Lighter and later meals for optimal sleep. There is increasing demand for ‘late-night snacks’—not for after a night out, but treats for later in the evening after we have worked hard. Food is also becoming part of nightlife in other ways. Elaborate dinners take place later in the evening or only at the start of the night. Beforehand, we may exercise with others or plan another appointment before starting dinner.
Trend 4: A new take on routines
- A new take on routines: we turn everyday moments into more of a celebration, with spontaneous treats and fun rituals to match.
Routines have been a topic of conversation for some time. It is therefore no surprise that social media trends such as ‘get ready with me’ are so popular. Countless experts, podcasts and self-help books help you find the right routines to get the most out of yourself. From discipline and exercise to creating set mealtimes and making time for yourself. ‘Small milestones’ are also becoming popular. Instead of celebrating only major milestones, we also allow ourselves to pause and acknowledge small victories or achievements by treating ourselves to special coffee, luxurious treats or special ingredients and dishes. Think cheese ice cream (the dessert trend of 2025!), a box of exclusive madeleines or macarons, or Michelin-star-worthy sandwiches and light lunch dishes. In meal delivery and food and drink, we will see this trend take various forms in 2025. We expect, for example, the rise of single portions or small dishes that allow people to treat themselves whenever they need it.
About the Food Trends Report
The full 2024 Food Trends Report from Thuisbezorgd can be found here. Among other things, this report provides insight into national and regional orders in the Netherlands, Thuisbezorgd.nl customers and a forecast of the Food Trends for 2025. The research is based on internal data from Thuisbezorgd.nl and international consumer trend forecast research by WGSN commissioned by Just Eat Takeaway.com, the parent company of Thuisbezorgd.nl.
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