FullTilt Marketing Names Broccolini the 2026 Vegetable of the Year 

Sweetpotatoes Earn Honorable Mention

Minot, ND — FullTilt Marketing, a national leader in produce and food marketing, unveiled its Vegetable of the Year forecast, naming broccolini as the official Vegetable of the Year for 2026. The recognition follows a comprehensive analysis of social conversations, consumer behavior, and emerging culinary sentiment utilizing Tastewise® food intelligence.

Vegetables as a whole continue to grow in cultural significance, representing 18% of all food and beverage social share with a +5.3% YoY increase in popularity, driven by consumer desires for health, comfort, flavor, and emotional connection. Within this surge, the data reveals a single vegetable gaining disproportionate cultural traction.

Why Broccolini Leads 2026
Broccolini has rapidly moved from a specialty item to a mainstream favorite, landing in the “trending” stage of the vegetable lifecycle with a +25% YoY increase in social discussions — one of the strongest growth rates among established vegetables.

Consumers gravitate toward broccolini for its mild flavor, approachable versatility, and its alignment with top-tier culinary and wellness trends. It blends seamlessly into comfort-forward recipes while also supporting global cuisine exploration.

Tastewise data shows that consumers increasingly associate vegetables with claims like hearty, comfort, cozy, and guilt-free, making broccolini a perfect match for the emotional and nourishing eating experiences shaping 2026 food culture.

Its rapid climb also corresponds with the rising demand for vegetables that are functional, plant-forward, and easy for home cooks to incorporate into everyday meals without complexity in prep or cooking.

“Broccolini is having a moment, and that moment is turning into a movement,” said Melinda Goodman, Founder & Principal of FullTilt Marketing. “Its growth is being driven by consumers who want foods that feel comforting and wholesome but also fresh, modern, and globally inspired. Broccolini checks every box.”

Honorable Mention: Sweetpotatoes
While broccolini leaves its veggie counterparts green with envy, sweetpotatoes undeniably earned a place on the podium, ranking as one of the most consistently rising vegetables with a +16% YoY increase in social conversation.

Sweetpotato performance ties into dominant wellness themes, including hormone balance, anti-bloat, polyphenols, and electrolytes underscoring the importance of the functional food movement making sweetpotatoes both emotionally comforting and nutritionally compelling.

Expect sweetpotatoes’ broad usage across meals, snacks, bakery items, and beverages to make them a continual growth engine for retailers and foodservice alike.

Vegetables to Watch for 2026–2027 
While the trending vegetables get all the attention, FullTilt’s research identified two strong emerging contenders that deserve attention and should be watched throughout the coming year in the emerging conversation category – kabocha and endive.

Both are rising stars in the “emerging” stage of trend adoption and will see more experimentation from restaurants and culinary creators that could have us see them break into trending use by late 2026 and gain cultural traction in 2027.

Goodman commented, “Social media has changed the conversation about how we see and use food, particularly fruits and vegetables. It will be exciting to watch these trending and emerging vegetables reflect the accelerating consumer desire for produce that is functional, aesthetically unique, and globally inspired.”

What Consumers Want from Vegetables in 2026
In addition to our vegetable of the year, Tastewise intelligence reveals several powerful trend drivers shaping produce consumption including emotional eating, functional foods and culinary exploration.

Broccolini, sweetpotatoes, kabocha, and endive each intersect multiple high-growth consumer needs giving produce marketers and growers a roadmap for relevance in 2026.

“The insights are clear and brands that lean into these trends now will shape category leadership for years to come,” remarked Goodman. “Trend intelligence is a powerful tool for growers and brands who want to elevate demand and strengthen their category story. Understanding the nuances of how consumers talk about vegetables unlocks smarter promotional campaigns, more compelling storytelling, and better alignment with what shoppers value most.”

FullTilt Marketing invites produce organizations to email melinda@fulltiltmarketing.net and connect for custom trend analysis, social listening reports, and strategic planning based on Tastewise consumer content intelligence.

About FullTilt Marketing
FullTilt Marketing is a national marketing agency specializing in fresh produce, food, and agriculture. Through data-driven insights, consumer intelligence, and strategic storytelling, FullTilt helps brands elevate demand, deepen relevance, and connect authentically with today’s consumer.