The popularity of the traditional soup and salad bar in restaurants is slowing a bit, according to the 2018 Soup & Salad Consumer Trend Report by Technomic. But that doesn’t mean these staples in the American diet have seen their day.

While soup and salad sales are lagging in some restaurant chains, others are getting creative with their offerings and capturing the attention of patrons (and capturing market share). Though some restaurateurs see the downward trend as a potential threat, others see it as an opportunity.

Fast-casual restaurants had a come-back year in 2017 compared to 2016. Sales for fast-casuals exceeded expectations for 2017 and grew by 9% among the top 250 restaurant chains. They remain one of the most popular dining destinations across the country and have hit the sweet spot with consumers by offering higher quality, healthier options compared to traditional fast food restaurants, while still maintaining quick service and an affordable price range. 

The sooner people are introduced to a product, the more likely they are to become loyal, lifelong customers. This is perhaps most notable when it comes to food and its influence on individuals. One study showed that your earliest recollections of meals as a child create strong, associative memories and can influence your psychological and physical well-being throughout your lifetime.

A recent report by Packaged Facts stated that “industry players must engage kids earlier and retain relationships through the teen years to realize full market potential.” Developing products that children love can have a significant impact on a food manufacturer’s future market share, but those products need to cater to families in different ways now than they did in the past.

The popularity of almond milk, soy milk, rice milk and other plant-based dairy alternatives continues to rise, and they’re forecast to represent 40% of the combined total of dairy and dairy alternative beverages.

A major contributing factor to the increased market share is the 36% of consumers who believe these non-dairy alternatives offer greater health benefits. Aside from a small percentage of the population that is allergic to dairy or chooses a vegan lifestyle, however, these marketing claims — among others — often don’t ring true.

Consumers in the U.S. eat more than 10 billion bowls of soup every single year. Tomato soup is the second favorite, topped only by chicken noodle. However, it’s hard to argue that any other is more versatile than creamy tomato soup which can be enjoyed on its own or used in other recipes such as chili, casseroles, stews, Mexican dishes, Italian classics and more.

July is National Ice Cream Month, but consumers continue to indulge all year long. To say that ice cream is a trend is a bit of a misnomer – after all, it’s been popular for centuries. In fact, Dolley Madison served ice cream as the featured dessert at the 1813 inaugural ball.

Macaroni and cheese has maintained its position on America’s top ten comfort foods list for decades. Crayola even named one of its orange crayon colors after this perennial favorite! Millions of adults and children alike consume mac and cheese every year, yet many are looking for ways to indulge more responsibly, and are paying closer attention to labels — avoiding foods with artificial ingredients and high fat and calories.

The observance of June Dairy Month began in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It’s expanded to celebrate all dairy products and their contributions to the world, and consumers continue to indulge.

The decadent, creaminess of Alfredo sauce has been a beloved Italian flavor profile of consumers for more than a century. Restaurants and food manufacturers continue to offer products to meet the demand.

Perhaps no other food product has been so highly revered throughout the ages as chocolate. Its popularity has only grown in recent years because of its purported health benefits. Cocoa, chocolate’s key ingredient, is high in antioxidants which can help lower stress, regulate blood pressure and potentially lower memory decline.