Coconut Water and Seaweed Snacks Top US Food Trends

Sales of coconut water and seaweed snacks are rising fast, and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. According to FoodNavigator-USA, US sales of coconut water have risen from less than half a million liters to almost 200 million liters just last year, and global consumption is expected to increase another 15 percent by the end of 2015. Seaweed snacks are also seeing a similar boom in popularity, with sales figures ballooning between $250 million and $500 million, an estimated growth of 30 to 40 percent annually, with 27 new products launching just last year. Thanks to its unique flavor and dense nutritional profile, sales of the salty snacks have even surpassed the kale chip market, estimated at $200 million. With steady interest in both foods growing so rapidly, plant-based snacks and drinks are poised, more than ever, to dominate the market in 2016.