Chia Seeds, Quinoa Biggest Food Fads; Boulder, Chicago and Los Angeles Earliest Adopters

CHICAGO, May 12, 2014  — A new health food trend pops up just about every month, and the analysts at GrubHub, the nation’s leading online and mobile food-ordering company, set out to track these crazes in the takeout space. GrubHub’s order analysis shows that chia seeds, quinoa and almond milk rank among 2014’s trendiest “health” foods, with these trendier orders most heavily concentrated in Boulder, Colo., Chicago and Los Angeles.

To uncover some of the fastest-growing health food fads at takeout restaurants across the country, GrubHub analysts examined a year’s worth of order data, focusing on foods and ingredients touted for their health benefits. Findings reveal that the following items registered the largest order spikes in the last year:

2014 Trending Health Foodsⁱ

• Chia seeds – 140%
• Quinoa – 110%
• Almond milk – 110%
• Kale – 99%
• “Raw” foods – 59%
• Gluten-free – 52%
• Pressed juice – 38%

GrubHub’s analysis also considered where these types of food trends are most geographically concentrated, with the following cities ranking highest for their percentage of trending health fad orders:

Health Fad Early Adopters

1. Boulder, Colo.
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. Seattle
5. New York
6. San Jose
7. San Diego
8. St. Louis
9. Miami
10. Austin

“GrubHub order data is an incredible indicator of new food trends,” said GrubHub Inc. president, Jonathan Zabusky , noting that GrubHub primarily works with independent restaurateurs who can test out trends and quickly add new menu items. “Menu flexibility like this is a luxury, and it puts our restaurants at the forefront of industry trend-setting,” he added.

Additional Health-Related Food Ordering Trends
Besides identifying food fads and where they’re most concentrated, GrubHub’s health trend analysis also uncovered additional insights about health food-ordering habits:

• Gluten-free items, kale and pressed juices are the most popular health food orders, respectively.
• Women are 44 percent more likely than men to order trendy health foods from takeout restaurants: Hemp seed (110% more common with women), chia seeds (66%), almond milk (63%), kale (61%) and quinoa (57%).
• Trendy health food orders are 110 percent more commonly placed during breakfast than throughout the rest of the day.
• College students are nearly 50 percent less likely to participate in these health food trends than the average diner.

Please check out GrubHub’s GIF, which shows the spread of kale orders – one of the year’s most popular food fads – from independent restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. To find takeout restaurants available in your area, please visit GrubHub.com, and for more information on GrubHub Inc., please visit http://media.grubhub.com.

About GrubHub Inc.
GrubHub Inc. (NYSE:  GRUB) is the nation’s leading online and mobile food ordering company dedicated to connecting hungry diners with local takeout restaurants. The company’s online and mobile ordering platforms allow diners to order directly from more than 29,000 takeout restaurants in more than 700 U.S. cities and London. Every order is supported by the company’s 24/7 customer service teams.

ⁱ Percentage increase calculated by comparing year over year order volume percentage

SOURCE GrubHub Inc.