Instacart expecting produce parade, mushroom boom in 2024

In looking at anticipated consumer food and health trends for 2024, Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart’s resident trends expert, has some good news for those supplying the produce aisle.

"Our journey into these insights has been guided by the wealth of data at our disposal with access to one of the world’s largest grocery catalogs that’s continually expanding into diverse categories such as home, beauty, sports and more," said Romaniuk. "We’re able to glean standout insights regarding people’s purchasing behavior — giving us a clear view of what people are eating, drinking, and shopping, in addition to how that behavior is starting to shift and evolve."

Among the top food and health predictions for 2024 — based on Instacart’s purchase data and consumer survey insights from an Instacart survey conducted online by The Harris Poll — are a mushroom boom, a boost in produce choices, a higher protein intake and drinking in moderation.

"More people will catch on to the health benefits of mushrooms," said Romaniuk. "From their possible link to immune-boosting properties and cognitive enhancement, mushrooms are emerging as a powerful ally in people’s well-being — and we have the data to support it."

Over the last year, Instacart has witnessed a mushroom surge, with carts containing fresh Lion’s Mane Mushroom growing by 589 percent, alongside fresh Hedgehog Mushrooms (315 percent), Pink Oyster Mushrooms (391 percent), Reishi Mushrooms (293 percent), and even mushroom supplements (42 percent).

To further support this exciting trend, the survey found that 40 percent of Americans are aware that consuming fresh mushrooms and mushroom supplements, such as Lion’s Mane and Reishi, may support cognitive function, overall brain health and improve immunity. Moreover, a significant 58 percent of Americans express their likelihood to consume mushroom supplements and increase their mushroom intake to reap these health benefits. "We foresee this growing fascination with fungi becoming a fundamental health practice for many in 2024 and beyond," said Romaniuk.

Additionally, a variety boost in produce choices is on the horizon. With each new year, it’s common for most to express a desire to up their produce intake, but we’re moving past the obvious.

"We’re preparing to witness a shift where people are not just aiming to eat more produce but are actively embracing a diverse and colorful array of fruits and vegetables," said Romaniuk. "Our survey found that among those who plan to make changes to improve their diet in the new year, 61 percent plan to do so by increasing their fresh produce intake."

On top of that, over the last year Instacart started to see an assortment of more unexpected fruits and veggies experience cart share growth over the last year, including a variety of fruits such as red dragonfruit (201 percent growth), yellow passionfruit (201 percent), mangosteen (158 percent) and Mayan melons (31 percent), and veggies such as microgreens (50 percent), broccoli sprouts (32 percent), purple broccoli (32 percent) and purple asparagus (18 percent).

"As we head into the new year, this signals many will take a flavorful and experimental journey toward more diverse produce — infusing their culinary routine with more options to keep things interesting," said Romaniuk.