McDonald's CEO says these 3 food trends will define 2026

• McDonald's CEO placed his bets for what will win the fast food wars in 2026.
• He said fiber, sweet and spicy flavor combinations, and innovative drinks will reign supreme.
• His predictions last year — AI, sauces, and protein — were spot on.

McDonald's CEO predicts three food trends will reign supreme in 2026.

Chris Kempczinski, the fast-food chain's top boss, took to Instagram on Monday to tell his followers what diners will crave this year.

But before spilling the secrets, he said he wanted to "do a little bit of a victory lap" because all his 2025 predictions came true. His big bets for 2025 were protein, AI in fast food, and sauces, all of which had their moments last year.

Here's what's on his 2026 list.

Fiber

The first item on Kempczinski's 2026 list was fiber, which he said is "going to be big."

This is not a surprise, as the dietary trend "fibermaxxing" has had its fair share of airtime over the past year. Dieticians say that consuming more fiber helps aid gut health, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

PepsiCo's CEO Ramon Laguarta did beat Kempczinski to the punch, predicting in an October earnings call that "fiber will be the next protein."

Sweet and spicy

The second item on his list was a unique flavor combination: "Sweet and spicy together is going to be a big food trend."

Fast food chains have already jumped on the trend. In 2025, chains like Chipotle, KFC, and Taco Bell all rolled out hot honey dipping sauces.

This trend is a continuation of his "sauces" prediction from last year. In 2025, Kempczinski said sauces, rather than the main dish, would be diners' focus.

"Spicy is always in," he said then. "I think you might see some honey or some sweet stuff."

McDonald's does have a sweet-spicy sauce offering in its Creamy Chili McCrispy Strip Dip.

Interesting drinks

And lastly, Kempczinski said, "You're going to see a lot of beverage innovation."

Over the past year, fast food chains have rolled out new beverages, with some, such as Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A, launching new beverage-focused spin-offs. Taco Bell opened its Live Más Café chain, and Chick-fil-A opened its Daybright chain, both selling coffees and fruity refreshers.

One reason for Kempczinski's prediction of drink innovation could be that Gen Z consumers are not huge fans of alcohol, but rather are on the hunt for exciting and unusual drink combinations.