The Year of Human-Centric Rebellion
This part isn’t news: our daily life is “optimized” by hybrid work, streaming services, and instant commerce. And yet, people feel more isolated and hungry for meaning than ever. All the tech available to us makes our daily processes fast and more efficient, but can’t deliver serendipity, warmth, or the imperfect experiences that make life feel human. Even the free time it allows us is somehow swallowed by the ouroboros of always-on media. It seems, however, we’re starting to wake up and see The Matrix we’ve put ourselves in. The core tension of 2026 is a pushback against algorithmic efficiency in favour of connection, craft, and context. Brands that refocus on real human needs, not just frictionless convenience, will win.
Here’s a preview of the seven trends we’ve identified as vital to how 2026 will unfold for food and beverage businesses in Canada. And to set the stage, please download and enjoy our previous reports, available here.
When Algorithms Become Your Best Customers
AI agents are becoming the primary intermediaries—the personal shoppers for the masses—for discovery and purchase, planning, comparing, and transacting on our behalf. Visibility now depends on being “agent-friendly”, with Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, being as crucial as SEO.
The Decline of Legacy Brands and the Rise of Celebrity Platform Brands
Why hire a celebrity spokesperson when you have a celebrity owner? Distribution-first incumbents are giving way to audience-first “platform” brands built by established celebs and creators with pre-existing reach and authentic storytelling. These new brands launch faster, iterate in the open, and convert attention into sales, while legacy brands struggle with slow innovation and fading cultural relevance.
Food as the Cure for Our Loneliness Epidemic
You’d think the end of the COVID epidemic would have renewed interest in socialization. But, as life became more AI-mediated and transactional, the opposite occurred. Now, however, food is reclaiming its role as social medicine. Shared meals, community events, even “slow checkout” lanes, are countering isolation and building loyalty. Will brands, retailers, and restaurants that design for genuine human interaction outperform?
Beyond Protein and Fibremaxxing to Nutrient Balance
Single-nutrient snacks and hacks are giving way to eating that balances nutrients, with the gut as the hub. Consumers want real food and multi-functional benefits over ultra-processed, one-trick-pony products. Expect growth in naturally balanced formats framed for comfort, microbiome support, and everyday performance.
MAHA and the ‘Valourization’ of the Food System
Polarized debates over UPFs, shifting definitions, and scrutiny of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) have eroded confidence in regulators and manufacturers. When science is complex and messaging feels evasive, consumers default to suspicion. The path forward is radical transparency, giving shoppers clear, comparable choices without stigmatizing whole categories.
Return to Real
Consumers are pushing back against AI-polished sameness and over-engineered “improvements,” paying a premium for any visible human touch. In food, that means rediscovering whole foods and minimally processed options. Is imperfection poised to become a proof point of authenticity, not a defect to hide?
When Your Kitchen Becomes Your Beauty Counter
Beauty is migrating from the vanity to the pantry as consumers connect skin and hair health to lifestyle, including diet and gut health. Functional foods and beverages are displacing supplements, and brands that translate complex biochemistry into tasty, routine-friendly formats could lead this holistic shift.
STAY TUNED! THE 2026 NOURISH TREND REPORT IS COMING SOON!
