These Are the Top 15 Foods on the Rise for 2020

November 15, 2019 by Steven M. Peters

DoorDash, the country’s number one food delivery service (it accounts for more than a third of U.S. sales in the category), has just released its 2019-2020 Trend Report. In it, the company reveal its most popular orders for the year, as well as the food items whose popularity has risen the most since 2018.

The San Francisco-based app based its lists on a comparison of orders received between January and November of this year and those from a comparable period in 2018, and also polled more than 1,200 of its customers about their preferences.

According to the report, orders for desserts and side dishes are on the rise, with two of the former and two of the latter — three if you count mac & cheese as a side — appearing on the list of the top 15 rising foods. Old-fashioned classics like apple pie and that mac & cheese are on the rise, as well, and are among the dishes Americans will most likely continue to order more of as we move into the new year.

Some foods experience brief spikes in popularity, tied to various events. Surprisingly, for Super Bowl this year, chicken fingers with French fries, burrito bowls, and bacon cheeseburgers all outperformed chicken wings, which are often considered the most popular Super Bowl food. Orders for iced tea increased by 500% on April 18, coinciding, for some unknown reason, with the release of the Mueller Report. It’s obvious, on the other hand, why fish and chips orders were up (by 457%) on May 6, the day that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their baby boy Archie.

Click here for the top 15 foods on the rise for 2020

Some interesting findings from the customer survey were that 59% of those polled “define pleasure as the meaning of food,” while 30% say that they typically eat examples of five to 10 different cuisines every month. Of course, some of what they eat might just sound like it comes from different cuisines — burrito bowls, for instance, which are Mexican only in the very distant sense. (And it’s not the only example — these are 20 “foreign” foods that are really American.)

If there’s any doubt that food delivery is the wave of the future, the DoorDash survey found that 66% of the customers polled named delivery as their favorite method of getting dinner on the table. Cooking their own meal came in second, and picking up takeout was third. And what about going out to a restaurant to eat? Fourth place. 

That ranking might explain why food delivery apps have grown from fad into a trend that is here to stay. Here are 35 of the biggest food  fads and trends in since 2010.

15. Stuffed jalapeños
> Percentage increase over 2018: 418%

These spicy little chiles are the perfect bar food, even when you’re drinking at home. Stuffed with cream cheese or some other cheese variety and usually battered and fried, they’re a variation on classic Mexican chiles rellenos.

[in-text-ad]

14. Mac & cheese
> Percentage increase over 2018: 420%

A recipe for something like mac & cheese was recorded as early as 1769, and Thomas Jefferson might have brought a version of the dish home with him from France — but its popularity soared after Kraft Foods introduced its packaged version in 1937. Presumably, those who order it in today are looking for something that’s better than what comes out of a box.

13. Chicken fajitas
> Percentage increase over 2018: 428%

Probably invented by Mexican ranch workers in Texas 75 or 80 years ago, fajitas were originally made with skirt steak. Today, they’re concocted out of everything from shrimp to seitan — of course including chicken, America’s favorite protein.

12. Egg rolls
> Percentage increase over 2018: 455%

Nobody’s quite sure why these crisp, meat-and/or-vegetable-stuffed spring roll variations — probably invented by a Chinese chef in New York City in the 1930s — are called egg rolls. Eggs are not involved. Whatever the story, they’re the only Chinese specialty appearing in this top 15 list, unless you count the faux-Chinese appetizer that DoorDash calls “cream cheese Rangoon” (also known as “crab Rangoon”); see below.

[in-text-ad-2]

11. Pesto cavatappi
> Percentage increase over 2018: 490%

DoorDash calls this one of the unexpected food trends to watch for in the coming year. It’s a curiously specific one, to be sure. Pesto — that classic sauce of basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese — is always a popular choice at Italian restaurants. However, cavatappi — which are ridged, squiggly little pasta shapes, sometimes used for mac & cheese (see above) — aren’t a traditional base for pesto dishes. Or maybe they are now.

10. Broccoli cheddar soup
> Percentage increase over 2018: 640%

One of two soups on this list, this popular potage answers the age-old parental question of how you get the kids to eat some broccoli: Mix it with a lot of cheese. The tactic obviously works for grown-ups too.

[in-text-ad]

9. French toast
> Percentage increase over 2018: 750%

This one is a surprise, not because it’s a breakfast dish (breakfast deliveries are common) but because — unlike waffles, which are crisper, for instance — it seems like something that would go limp shortly after coming off the griddle. That apparently doesn’t matter when folks are hungry for an old-fashioned morning meal, though.

8. Create your own sushi roll
> Percentage increase over 2018: 902%

DoorDash reports that an overwhelming 96% of its customers customize their orders one way or another. While “make your own pizza” was the fourth-most-popular food ordered this year, “create your own sushi roll” was the one that grew the most dramatically in popularity.

7. Fried fish sandwiches
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,030%

Maybe it’s the perception that fish is healthier than burgers (McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, for instance, weighs in at 390 calories versus 563 for a Big Mac) or maybe it’s just that siren-song word “fried,” but no other type of sandwich showed anywhere near this kind of popularity growth this year.

[in-text-ad-2]

6. Tortilla soup
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,130%

Orders of Mexican food overall increased by 314% this year, with half of the 10 most popular foods delivered belonging to that category — but diners are apparently particularly interested in this classic soup.

5. Hash browns
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,200%

As DoorDash points out, side dishes like this one have outpaced main dishes in growth this year. While a mid-year survey from the company showed French fries as being the most popular potato variety ordered, hash browns were in second place.

[in-text-ad]

4. Brussels sprouts
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,280%

Brussels sprouts? Really? Apparently so. The popularity of these flavorful little mini-cabbages has been growing for at least six or seven years. According to an article in Vegetable Growers News in early 2018, people realizing that you can flavor Brussels sprouts with bacon has been a contributing factor to the rise, and while the year-end holidays used to be the big season for them, now there are promotions for them year round. In addition, while 80% of the crop used to go to frozen-food processors, now 85% is sold fresh. A lot of that obviously for delivery.

3. Molten chocolate cake
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,350%

Ubiquitous New York-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten might not have been the first to ever produce a dense chocolate cake with a warm molten center, but his version, which dates back at least 30 years, is the one that has been most widely copied around the U.S. Here’s a question, though: How does the center stay molten on the dash from the restaurant to your door?

2. Cream cheese Rangoons
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,360%

Crab, either real or imitation, mixed with cream cheese, wrapped up in a wonton skin, and deep-fried was almost certainly invented by Victor Bergeron for his seminal tiki-bar restaurant chain, Trader Vic’s, sometime in the 1940s. It has proven remarkably persevering over the years, appearing on both tiki-style and Chinese menus (among other places) all over the country and beyond. And its popularity is obviously still growing, though DoorDash cites these appetizers as an unexpected food trend, along with the aforementioned pesto cavatappi (see above).

[in-text-ad-2]

1. Apple pie
> Percentage increase over 2018: 1,550%

DoorDash sees the impressive rise in popularity of this old-school comfort food dessert as an indication that a nostalgia trend is continuing “by bringing back classics with dessert first!” Maybe in light of the political divisiveness currently sundering our nation, people just want something we can all agree defines American values.

Essential Tips for Investing: Sponsored

A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.