The concept of ‘future foods’ has a far-reaching connotation and broad extension. It covers all aspects of the theories and technologies involved in food production, harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, distribution and consumption. At the same time, ‘future foods’ is inseparable with agriculture system, ecological resources, earth environment, animal welfare, and human spiritual civilization. This study summarized the currently challenges facing humanity needed to be continuously dealing with in the future, including inadequate food supply, serious food loss and waste, and nutrition and health crisis. A prospective analysis was carried out on the hot research areas in future foods. Novel food production systems including plant factory, cell factory, chemical synthesis based on soilless cultivation, single cell culture, biochemical catalysis will be powerful complements to traditional food production systems. Accompanied with the mining and utilization of new food resources, a sustainable food supply will be achieved. Minimization of food loss will be accomplished by perfecting the food logistics and supply chain systems, establishing the rational processing of targeted raw materials, developing the green food processing technology and intelligent packaging. Engineering technologies including extrusion-shearing, 3D printing and nano-assembling, and intelligent catering technologies, combined with big data and perception interacting personalized design, will enable future foods to meet the consumer precise demand. Through the introduction of new theories, new resources, and new technologies, this study hopes to provide some fundamental scientific references for the healthy and sustainable development of the future food industry.