Food & Wine has published its trend forecast for 2026, and the headline call is intensity: "maxxed-out flavor" leads a list that also includes solo dining formats and cabbage across multiple applications.

The forecast signals where menu development is heading as operators plan next year's LTOs and core-menu refreshes. Each of the three named trends carries distinct implications for sourcing, menu engineering and portioning.

What does "maxxed-out flavor" mean for menus?

The trend points to bolder, more concentrated flavor profiles as a differentiator — a play that typically favors aggressive seasoning blends, fermentation and condiment programs over new center-of-the-plate proteins. For operators, flavor-forward menu engineering can lift perceived value without raising protein cost of goods, one of the few levers available amid continued input inflation.

Why solo meals matter to portioning and pricing

Solo meals, the second call in the forecast, reflect continued growth in single-person occasions. That shift presses operators on portion architecture: smaller formats can carry higher per-ounce pricing, but they demand tighter spec control and packaging suited to one diner rather than family-style shareables.

Is cabbage the next workhorse vegetable?

Cabbage rounds out the forecast. The vegetable's appeal for operators is largely economic — it is cheap, holds well, and works across slaws, braises, charred applications and fermented formats. A cabbage-forward menu can substitute for pricier produce while still reading as intentional rather than as cost-cutting.

Food & Wine's outlook joins a crowded field of 2026 predictions from restaurant trade publications and supplier research teams, all of which operators will weigh against their own category data as they build next year's calendars. Expect the flavor-intensity call in particular to show up in condiment and sauce launches through the back half of 2026.