The New Year is a time to look ahead…for dietary recommendations for Americans and what will be trending in food and physical activity. Yet there is some news from last year that will persist into 2026 such as state SNAP waivers, the cost of food and GLP-1s.

What’s Trending
More states get SNAP waivers and USDA has retailer rules for them. It appears some restaurant items are getting pricier than other items. Grocery affordability is still an issue and some food companies plan to cut prices. And longevity enters the eating out scene.
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Snapshots…
More states get SNAP waivers, allowing them to restrict certain items and the USDA outlines retailer compliance for state SNAP waivers.
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Food – cost and longevity
Some restaurant items are getting pricier while others aren’t. Some companies say they will cut prices to address affordability. And longevity enters the scene in fast food.
GLP-1s
If you are on weight loss drugs chances are you are buying different food and spending less. There are many ways food companies are being affected by these behaviors.


2025 – 2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released January 7, 2026 and the graphic might look a little familiar as it is a pyramid but inverted @ https://realfood.gov/.
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Protein food options
Read about the demographics driving the protein-fortified trend. As protein is often mentioned on 2026 trends, here are some items debuting in 2026 as well as 2025 options already on the shelves.
2026 food and physical activity trends
Read more from each group of experts about the trends they predict will drive 2026.
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