Food trends can be exciting and innovative, bringing new flavors and experiences to our tables. However, some trends push the boundaries of what many consider appetizing, often for shock value or social media attention.
While culinary creativity is commendable, specific trends might have overstayed their welcome, leaving many of us cringing rather than craving. Here are 15 gross food trends that we believe need to stop.
Rainbow Everything
The obsession with rainbow-colored food has gone too far. From bagels and pasta to grilled cheese and sushi, the vibrant hues often come from artificial dyes that can alter the taste and are not always great for health. What started as a fun visual treat has turned into an overload of eye-popping colors that often look more appealing than they taste. Additionally, the novelty wears off quickly, leaving us longing for food that prioritizes flavor over visual spectacle.
Activated Charcoal
Once touted for its detoxifying benefits, activated charcoal has found its way into everything from ice cream to pizza crusts. However, it can interfere with medication absorption and disrupt digestive health. The stark black color may look striking on Instagram, but it often adds a gritty texture and a slightly off-putting taste that can ruin an otherwise delicious dish. Plus, consuming it regularly can lead to constipation and other health issues, making it a trend best left behind.
Edible Glitter
While sparkly food may look magical, edible glitter is more style than substance. Often made from sugar, gum arabic, and food-grade colorants, it adds no flavor and can pose health risks if not truly edible. The glitter trend has led to an array of sparkly pastries, cocktails, and even pizza, but ingesting glitter—edible or not—can be concerning. The potential for non-food-grade glitter to be used by mistake makes this trend one that should disappear for good.
Extreme Milkshakes
Milkshakes topped with entire slices of cake, donuts, candy bars, and more have become social media sensations. However, they are often overly calorie and sugar-laden, leading to serious health concerns. These towering creations might look impressive, but they’re nearly impossible to eat without making a mess. The excessive toppings usually overshadow the milkshake itself, turning a once-simple treat into an unmanageable monstrosity.
Unicorn Foods
Unicorn-themed foods, featuring pastel colors and an abundance of sprinkles have taken over desserts and drinks. While visually appealing, these items rely heavily on artificial flavors and colors. The whimsical presentation rarely translates to a satisfying taste experience, and the sugar content is typically sky-high. The focus on aesthetics over quality and flavor means that unicorn foods are more about the ‘gram than the palate.
Overloaded Burgers
Burgers stacked with excessive toppings, from fried eggs and onion rings to multiple patties and sauces, are becoming unwieldy. While indulgence has its place, these overloaded creations are impractical to eat and often fall apart after the first bite. The complexity of flavors can become overwhelming, making it hard to enjoy any single component. Instead of enhancing the burger, the overload often detracts from the overall experience.
Bizarre Ice Cream Flavors
Ice cream is meant to be a delightful treat, but flavors like garlic, lobster, or cheese push the boundaries of what should be enjoyable. These odd combinations might intrigue adventurous eaters, but they often disappoint in terms of taste. The novelty quickly wears off, leaving you wishing for classic options. Some things are better left separate, and ice cream is one of those treats best enjoyed in traditional flavors.
Goth Foods
Foods dyed black with squid ink or activated charcoal, like goth lattes and black burgers, may look edgy but often have an off-putting taste and texture. The trend is more about visual appeal than culinary delight, and the novelty can wear thin. The black color can be unappetizing to many, and the added ingredients often don’t contribute to the flavor meaningfully. The result is an intriguing dish that doesn’t live up to the hype.
Cereal on Everything
Using sugary cereals as toppings for everything from donuts to ice cream has become popular. While it might evoke childhood nostalgia, the trend adds unnecessary sugar and artificial ingredients to already sweet treats. The cereal crunch doesn’t always complement the texture of the base food, leading to a jarring eating experience. Moreover, the flavors can clash, creating a chaotic taste rather than a harmonious blend.
Savory Desserts
Desserts incorporating savory elements like bacon, cheese, or herbs have become trendy, but the results are often polarizing. While some combinations can work, many end up being a confusing mix of flavors that don’t satisfy either sweet or savory cravings. The trend seems more about pushing boundaries than creating enjoyable dishes. Dessert is meant to be a sweet indulgence, and adding savory components often detracts from that simple pleasure.
Freakshakes
Like extreme milkshakes, freakshakes overflowing with an absurd amount of toppings like whipped cream, brownies, and candy. These visually striking beverages are often impossible to drink without making a mess and contain excessive calories and sugar. The focus on appearance over practicality and taste means that the shake itself is often overlooked. It’s a trend that prioritizes spectacle over substance, leaving much to be desired in flavor and enjoyment.
Insect-based Foods
While insects are a sustainable protein source and a staple in many cultures, the trend of incorporating them into snacks and novelty items in Western cuisine can feel gimmicky. Cricket flour cookies and mealworm protein bars may be eco-friendly, but they often struggle to gain acceptance due to the “ick” factor. The push for entomophagy needs to be more thoughtful and less about shock value, focusing on making these foods genuinely appealing rather than just novel.
Cloud Bread
Cloud bread, a low-carb, fluffy bread alternative made primarily from eggs, has gained popularity for its unique texture and health claims. However, the taste and texture can be off-putting for those expecting a traditional bread experience. It often lacks the satisfying chew and flavor of regular bread, making it an unsatisfactory substitute. The trend prioritizes diet culture over culinary enjoyment, resulting in a food that’s more about restriction than pleasure.
Food Mashups
Combining two distinct foods into one, like sushi burritos or ramen burgers, can be creative but often leads to a disjointed eating experience. These mashups might look interesting but rarely improve the original dishes. The fusion often feels forced, with flavors and textures clashing rather than complementing each other. While food innovation is welcome, not every combination needs to become a trend.
Gold Leaf on Food
Edible gold leaf has become a luxury trend, adorning everything from burgers to desserts. While it adds a glamorous touch, it has no flavor and is purely decorative, often driving up the price of the dish significantly. Using gold leaf can feel pretentious and unnecessary, especially when the underlying food isn’t exceptional. It’s a trend that prioritizes appearance and status over taste and substance, making it more about showing off than enjoying good food.
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Victoria Cornell helps women adopt a positive mindset even when the struggles of motherhood feel overwhelming. Victoria writes for multiple media outlets where she writes about, saving money, retirement, ways to reduce stress with mindset, manifesting, goal planning, productivity, and more.
