The Takeout Order Having a Moment Right Now: Cauliflower Rice (We Called It)

Photo: Stocksy/Helen Rushbrook
Last week, meal delivery service Grubhub released its annual data report giving the inside scoop on what exactly people are ordering—and surprisingly it's not primarily pizza and burgers. Takeout food is getting healthier and there's one veggie in particular people are ordering en masse: cauliflower.

According to Grubhub—which analyzed millions of orders in 1,700 cities nationwide—orders for buffalo cauliflower are up 124 percent this year, and cauliflower rice bowl orders are up 155 percent. Interesting, right? This shows that not only are more people seeking out cauliflower-based entrees, but it also means that it's becoming an option at more restaurants, too. (Not to brag, but we totally called it, BTW.)

Cauliflower rice bowl orders are up 155 percent.

Think about it: Were buffalo cauli bites even on the menu at bars alongside chicken wings a few years ago? Or cauli fried rice? The rise in cauliflower is undeniable—Google searches for cauliflower rice, for example, are up 60 percent—and restaurants are responding by starting to incorporate it into more classic takeout foods. (Prediction: Cauli-pizza orders are going to be next on the rise—you heard it here first.)

But the cruciferous veg isn't the only plant-based food Grubhub says people are getting delivered. Bean burrito orders are up 276 percent (making it the most popular healthy takeout item of the year), and red meat based foods (like burgers) didn't make the top 10 list at all.

It's good to know you don't have to spend hours meal prepping in order to enjoy a nice, healthy meal after a long day or work, right? Late night cheese-y crust pizza was so 2017.

See a complete list of Well+Good's 2019 Wellness Trends here, which includes another plant-based fave, oat milk.

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