Discover July’s top food content trends, from summer flavors like corn and peaches to grilling, ice cream, and plant-based recipes. Stay ahead with insights for food bloggers and restaurateurs.
July ushers in a vibrant season of food content, driven by summer’s bounty, outdoor cooking, and a growing appetite for health-conscious and plant-based options. From corn-laden dishes to refreshing ice cream creations, food bloggers, restaurateurs, and content creators have a wealth of opportunities to captivate audiences. This article dives into the key food content trends shaping July, blending insights from social media, restaurant performance, and consumer preferences to help you craft compelling content and menus. Whether you’re a food blogger looking to boost engagement or a restaurant owner aiming to optimize sales, these trends offer actionable strategies to thrive in the summer season.
1. Summer Flavors: Corn, Peaches, Berries, and Watermelon Take Center Stage
Summer’s peak brings an explosion of fresh produce, with corn, peaches, berries, and watermelon dominating food content. These ingredients resonate with consumers seeking vibrant, seasonal flavors that evoke picnics, barbecues, and beach days.
Corn: A Versatile Star
Corn, in season during July, is a perennial favorite, appearing in everything from elote (Mexican street corn) to corn salads and side dishes. Its versatility makes it a go-to for bloggers and chefs. Google Trends data highlights a surge in corn-related searches, reflecting its popularity in summer menus. For example, Pinch of Yum’s guide to grilling corn has inspired creators to explore innovative preparations, such as corn dips or charred corn tacos.
Peaches: Sweet and Savory
Peaches shine in both sweet and savory dishes, from peach cobblers to grilled peach salads. Their juicy texture and natural sweetness make them a hit in iced teas, smoothies, and desserts. Bloggers can capitalize on this trend by creating visually appealing recipes, like peach galettes or peach-infused cocktails, to boost social media engagement.
Berries and Watermelon: Refreshing Staples
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) and watermelon are synonymous with summer refreshment. Blueberries, celebrated during National Blueberry Month, feature in smoothies, pies, and salads. Watermelon, often paired with feta or mint in salads, offers a hydrating, low-calorie option for health-conscious consumers. Content creators can leverage these ingredients for vibrant Instagram posts or TikTok recipe videos.
Table 1: Popular Summer Ingredients and Recipe Ideas
| Ingredient | Popular Dishes | Content Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Corn | Elote, corn salad, grilled corn | Grilling tutorials, dip recipes |
| Peaches | Peach cobbler, grilled peaches | Cocktail recipes, dessert videos |
| Berries | Berry smoothies, blueberry pie | Smoothie bowls, baking guides |
| Watermelon | Watermelon salad, agua fresca | Picnic recipes, refreshing drinks |
2. Grilling and BBQ: The Heart of Summer Cooking
Grilling and barbecue content dominate July, fueled by outdoor gatherings and a love for smoky flavors. Despite rainy weather in regions like the UK, where TikTok saw 4K posts and 43M views for #bbq, the trend remains strong globally.
Smash Burgers: A Social Media Sensation
The “smash patty” trend, with a 52% year-on-year increase in Google Trends searches, has taken TikTok by storm, garnering 232K views for #smashpatty and 11M for #smashburger. These thin, crispy burgers are easy to make at home, making them ideal for recipe videos. Creators showcase techniques for achieving the perfect crust, while restaurants highlight their smash burger offerings to attract diners.
Grilled Meats and Vegetables
Grilled chicken, steak, seafood, and vegetables remain staples. Blackstones, popular for outdoor cooking, inspire griddle-friendly recipes, such as grilled vegetable skewers or seafood tacos. Bloggers can create round-ups of grill recipes, while restaurants can promote value-driven BBQ platters to appeal to cost-conscious consumers.
Chart: Grilling Content Workflow
3. Ice Cream: Celebrating National Ice Cream Month
July, designated National Ice Cream Month, sees a spike in ice cream-related content. Google Trends confirms a peak in searches for ice cream recipes, with creators experimenting with unique flavors and plant-based options.
Innovative Flavors
From s’mores-inspired ice cream to elote-flavored scoops, bloggers are pushing boundaries. Fruit-filled sorbets, like peach or watermelon, appeal to health-conscious audiences, while indulgent creations, such as beer-infused ice cream, cater to adventurous palates.
Plant-Based Ice Cream
The rise of plant-based diets has spurred demand for dairy-free ice cream. Brands using almond, oat, or coconut milk are gaining traction, with recipes for vegan chocolate or berry sorbets trending on Pinterest and TikTok. Restaurants can introduce plant-based desserts to attract a broader customer base.
Table 2: Ice Cream Flavor Trends
| Flavor Type | Examples | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | Vanilla, chocolate, s’mores | Families, traditionalists |
| Fruit-Based | Peach sorbet, watermelon | Health-conscious, vegan |
| Unique | Elote, beer-infused, spicy honey | Foodies, social media users |
| Plant-Based | Oat milk chocolate, almond berry | Vegans, lactose-intolerant |
4. Plant-Based and Health-Focused Recipes
Health and wellness remain a priority, even in summer. The #girldinner trend on TikTok, with 6K posts and 70M views, showcases colorful, nutrient-rich plates featuring proteins, vegetables, and fruits. This trend, popularized by creator Tiffany Elizabeth, emphasizes gut health over restrictive diets.
Plant-Based Alternatives
Plant-based burgers, milk, and desserts are gaining popularity. Vegan BBQ recipes, such as grilled portobello mushrooms or jackfruit sliders, offer meat-free twists on classics. Restaurants in the Quick Service and Fast Casual segments, which outperformed others in July, can leverage these options to attract cost-conscious diners.
Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners
Recipes featuring quinoa, farro, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup align with health trends. Bloggers can create content around grain bowls or low-sugar desserts, while restaurants can highlight these ingredients in menu descriptions to appeal to mindful eaters.
5. Unique Flavor Combinations: Bold and Creative
July’s food content thrives on bold flavor pairings that surprise and delight. These combinations, often shared on social media, drive engagement and inspire culinary experimentation.
Spicy Honey Sauces
Spicy honey, used in sauces for fried chicken or drizzled over pizza, adds a sweet-heat balance that resonates with foodies. Bloggers can create recipes for spicy honey-glazed wings, while restaurants can incorporate it into limited-time offerings.
Elote Margaritas and Beer-Infused Chocolates
Cocktails like elote margaritas, blending corn’s sweetness with tequila’s kick, are trending on TikTok. Beer-infused chocolates, pairing craft brews with rich cocoa, appeal to dessert lovers. These creations offer opportunities for visually striking content and unique menu items.
Cocktail Twists: The Spritz Revolution
The Negroni Spritz, with a 50% increase in Google Trends searches, leads a wave of spritz variations, including Limoncello, Hugo, and Elderflower Rose. TikTok’s #spritzseason, with 62K views, highlights their popularity. Restaurants can promote spritz happy hours, while bloggers can share DIY cocktail recipes.
Table 3: Unique Flavor Pairings
| Combination | Applications | Content Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| Spicy Honey | Fried chicken, pizza drizzle | Recipe videos, sauce tutorials |
| Elote Margarita | Cocktail menus, summer drinks | TikTok cocktail demos |
| Beer-Infused Chocolate | Desserts, gift boxes | Dessert blogs, tasting guides |
| Negroni Spritz | Happy hour specials | Instagram Reels, recipe cards |
6. National Food Holidays: Driving Content Creation
July’s food holidays, such as National Hot Dog Month, National Pickle Month, and National Picnic Month, provide a framework for themed content. Lesser-known days, like National Fried Chicken Day (July 6) or National Mojito Day (July 11), offer niche opportunities for engagement.
Leveraging Holidays
Bloggers can use resources like Foodimentary or The Wicked Noodle to plan content around these holidays. For example, a National Hot Dog Month campaign could feature gourmet hot dog recipes, while National Picnic Month inspires portable meal ideas. Restaurants can create holiday-themed promotions, such as mojito specials or pickle-inspired sides.
Canada Day and Global Influences
July 1 marks Canada Day, prompting content around poutine or maple syrup recipes. In the Southern Hemisphere, where July brings winter, hearty dishes like soups or roasts can balance summer-focused content for global audiences.
7. Picnic and Camping Meals: Embracing Outdoor Dining
Picnics and camping spike in July, with Google Trends showing increased searches for picnic recipes and camping meals. These trends reflect a desire for portable, easy-to-prepare foods that enhance outdoor experiences.
Picnic Favorites
Picnic sandwiches, fruit salads, and refreshing lemonades are popular choices. Bloggers can combine trends, such as a watermelon-berry salad, to create shareable content. Restaurants can offer picnic baskets or takeout packages to cater to this demand.
Camping Recipes
Camping meals, often prepared on Blackstones or portable grills, include hot breakfasts and griddle-friendly dishes. Content creators can share recipes for foil-packet meals or campfire desserts, while restaurants can promote camping-inspired specials.
8. Restaurant Insights: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
July posed challenges for restaurants, with same-store sales growth at -2.3% and traffic growth at -4.6%, according to Black Box Intelligence. External factors, including the summer Olympics, Covid-19 cases, and hot weather, contributed to these declines. However, segment-specific performance offers lessons for recovery.
Quick Service and Fast Casual: Resilience in Value
Quick Service and Fast Casual restaurants outperformed Casual and Upscale Casual segments, thanks to their value-driven menus and convenience. These segments can inspire others to focus on affordability and speed to attract diners.
Intent to Return: The Power of Reviews
Online reviews significantly impact customer retention. Limited Service brands with an Average Sentiment Rating (ASR) of 4.4 or higher saw weekly sales of $57k, compared to $30k for those with an ASR of 3 or less. For Full Service, the gap was even wider: $100k versus $30k. Restaurants must prioritize review management and address feedback to boost intent to return.
Table 4: Restaurant Performance by Segment (July)
| Segment | Same-Store Sales Growth | Traffic Growth | Key Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Service | Relatively stable | -3.5% | Value-driven menus |
| Fast Casual | Relatively stable | -3.8% | Convenience, plant-based options |
| Casual Dining | -3.0% | -5.2% | Promotions, loyalty programs |
| Upscale Casual | -3.5% | -5.8% | Unique offerings, ambiance |
9. Social Media Strategies: Amplifying Trends
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are critical for amplifying July’s food trends. Creators can leverage hashtags, such as #healthy, #bbq, or #icecream, to reach wider audiences.
TikTok: Health and Creativity
TikTok’s #girldinner and #smashpatty trends highlight the platform’s role in driving health-focused and creative content. Short, engaging videos showcasing quick recipes or flavor hacks perform well.
Pinterest: Inspiration for Home Cooks
Pinterest’s Summer Trends Report notes spikes in searches for mango chia seed pudding (+210%), avocado bread (+360%), and specialty teas like Persian tea (+550%). Bloggers can create pinnable graphics for these recipes to drive traffic.
AI Tools: Streamlining Content Creation
Tools like ChatGPT can enhance content strategies by generating SEO ideas, optimizing editorial calendars, or suggesting recipe variations. Bloggers can experiment with AI to stay ahead of the curve.
10. Preparing for Fall: Lessons from Summer
As summer winds down, July’s trends offer insights for fall planning. The uptick in sales in August, with soups (+10%) and curry (+10%), signals a shift toward heartier dishes. Restaurants can prepare for football season by promoting game-day foods like chicken wings, which see a 25% increase in order volume on NFL Sundays.
Menu Optimization
Using tools like Toast’s Menu Engineering Worksheet, restaurants can analyze summer performance to refine fall menus. Highlighting plant-based options, spritz cocktails, and comfort foods can bridge seasonal transitions.
Content Planning
Bloggers should plan fall content around back-to-school lunches, Halloween treats, and “Christmas in July” ideas, which gain traction in late summer. Maintaining agility and data-driven strategies will ensure success.
Conclusion: Seizing July’s Opportunities
July’s food content trends reflect a dynamic blend of summer indulgence, health consciousness, and culinary creativity. From corn and peaches to smash burgers and spritz cocktails, these trends offer endless possibilities for engagement. For bloggers, leveraging social media and food holidays can drive traffic, while restaurants can use data to optimize menus and recover from summer challenges. By staying informed and adaptable, content creators and restaurateurs can turn July’s trends into lasting success.
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