McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski has revealed his food trend predictions for 2026. In a new video on Instagram, the CEO posted three ideas that he believes will shape the fast-food industry this year. These include fibre, sweet and spicy flavours, and new beverages.
“No. 1, fibre is going to be big,” Kempczinski said. “No. 2, sweet and spicy, together, is going to be a big food trend. And No. 3, you're going to see a lot of beverage innovation,” he said in a recent Instagram post.
In the video, he also noted how his last year's predictions were mostly true. In 2025, Kempczinski had predicted that protein-forward foods, artificial intelligence and sauces would dominate the food trends.
“I do have to do a little bit of a victory lap because this time last year, I was asked for my 2025 predictions, and I did say what was going to be big. It's going to be protein, it's going to be AI, it was going to be sauces,” he said. “I think I went three-for-three. That's pretty good,” the CEO added.
Kempczinski's video has fetched nearly 3,000 likes and nearly 150 comments. As his video gained traction, many people were quick to point out that fibre certainly appears to be an emerging dietary trend.
Some users also shared their own predictions, with many expecting a surge in potato-based menu items and expanded vegan options.
Others took the opportunity to ask the CEO to restore their favourite McDonald's items.
“Let's get some meatless options, please, Chris. We know you guys have the products in other countries. Time to bring them here,” a user commented.
“Bring back the Big Mac snack wrap. It is like the perfect compliment to so many other things and can keep calm while driving home before you get the rest of your food out,” another said.
Who Is Chris Kempczinski?
Kempczinski took over as CEO of the fast-food chain in November 2019. Since then, he has become a visible public face for the company and frequently posts on social media.
Before becoming CEO, he served as President of McDonald's USA, where he oversaw business operations for nearly 14,000 restaurants across the country. He joined McDonald's in 2015 as Executive Vice President of Strategy, Business Development and Innovation. He holds over 25 years of experience in global consumer brands.
He began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble and later held senior roles at PepsiCo.
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