The trends are based on our upcoming 2018 Food Forecast ebook available soon on the company's website.

In the decade between 2003 and 2014, the percentage of kids enjoying a daily sugar- or similarly calorically sweetened beverage fell from nearly 80% to under 61%, and the number of adults doing the same fell from almost 62% down to 50%.

Creating convenient food for a busy person isn't a new concept. But unlike adults, preteens and teens are still growing and developing at incredibly rapid rates, so they need more food—and more out of the food they eat.

The rapid expansion in the variety of food and drink retail channels will fuel the opportunity for recommendations, promotions and product innovations that are personalized based on individual consumer behavior.

In 2016, Kashi purchased the first-ever crop of Certified Transitional ingredients—hard red winter wheat—sourced from 860 acres of transitional farmland.

More conscious than ever about making responsible food choices, 4 in 10 US and UK consumers increased their consumption of “healthy foods."

In 2016 Americans ate 14.9 pounds of seafood per capita, while a slight over all dip from 2015, the latest numbers actually highlight a significantly positive trend in consumption.

Whole Foods Market’s global buyers and experts announced the most anticipated food trends for the year ahead. Floral flavors, functional mushrooms and root-to-stem recipes are just a few of the picks expected to take off in 2018. The seasoned trend-spotters thoughtfully compiled this list based on more than 100 years of combined experience in product sourcing and studying consumer preferences.

So-called "ancient grains" have become featured ingredients in more new products during the past few years.

Spurring the segment's growth will be plant-based dairy alternatives, which are expected to come to represent 40% of the combined total of dairy and dairy alternative beverages, up from 25% in 2016 when dairy alternative beverages alone accounted for barely $6 billion in retail sales.