6 Biggest Food Fads Of the Last 5 Years

Usually nothing can bring back fond memories like a song, but sometimes all you need is favorite food to take you straight to the past. And just like music trends change with time, so too do food fads. Take a look back at the biggest food trends in the past few years and see what memories they bring back for you.

1. 2008: Organic

Eating organic has been around long enough to count as a movement and a way of life instead of a trend. It really came into its own in 2008 when sales of organic foods reached $21.1 billion.

2. 2009: Bacon

Now this is a fad food the world will never get tired of. Bacon makes everything better. I made chocolate dipped bacon for Christmas last year. Laugh if you want, but it was amazing. 2009 is when bacon really became a mainstream obsession. That's when The Daily Show introduced the world to Baconnaise.

3. 2010: Gluten-free

For people who are gluten-intolerant due to a medical condition, eating gluten-free food is a way of life, but starting in 2010 a lot of people treated this as fad diet. Whether they thought it would make them feel better or just make them feel cool, they jumped on the gluten-free band wagon. As the general population has become more aware that gluten-intolerance exists, the range of products has exploded and so has their availability.

4. 2011: Cupcakes

The cupcake fad which reached it's peak in 2011 is fading fast right now and the millions of us who love them will be mourning the trend. There is just something about a tasty cupcake with frosting piled higher than the cake itself that makes you feel good inside. Maybe it makes us think of birthdays as a kid or maybe we just like the resulting sugar rush. No matter the reason, cupcakes as a fad may be over but cupcakes themselves will never go away.

5. 2012: Frozen Yogurt

Just like in fashion, food trends tend to cycle back around at some point. Frozen yogurt had it's first heyday in the 1980s and early 90s. It has been gaining steam for a comeback the last several years, but 2012 really marked when frozen yogurt showed us it was here to stay. More and more stores selling the delicious treat continue to open as the trend makes it way into smaller cities. One has even opened in my hometown, so by now you can probably find frozen yogurt close to you no matter where you live.

6. 2013: Cronut

We're only halfway through the year, but the cronut is emerging as the hot new food for 2013. If you've had one I'm infinitely jealous. If you haven't, it is the result of combining a donut and a croissant. The bakery that invented it sells out everyday and copy cat creations are popping up.

7. 2014: ?

The general trend in fad foods has either been toward healthy foods or guilty pleasures. Will we swing back around to things that are good for us next year, or will it be the year with even more sugary goodness? Feel free to make your predictions in the comments below.