Healthy eating is popular these days. As a result, more restaurants have added vegan and vegetarian options to their menus. Even old standbys, like cheeseburgers, can be made with plant-based alternatives that cater to these customers. Creative brands can push the boundaries of what’s possible.
What meat alternatives have you heard of before? The Beyond Burger, for example, is a very popular option. Recently, more people started worrying about the fat and salt content of processed foods. In response, brands turned to clean eating. Contribute to the plant-based market with new vegan alternatives, and you’ll both circumvent this concern and put your stamp on the marketplace.
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Rise of Vegan Eating
Before you get involved in the market, understand what customers want out of these products. Many meat-based dishes now have the same taste and texture as the original, which is crucial. People can tell when it’s not as expected. They crave the same delicious food but also want that nutritional value, so figuring out how to plausibly replicate the taste will make or break these efforts.
Forbes indicates that 93% of consumers feel like they should eat healthier. It’s hard to give up greasy cheeseburgers, though—unless local restaurants find a way to make healthy options taste just as good. You’ll draw in this particular crowd when you start to make dishes designed to combine nutrition with flavor.
Switch to local vendors to supply the produce for these non-meats, and you’ll support the community while helping the environment. Some vegan dishes have a lower carbon footprint than ones that use meat, so you can advertise that when appealing to your target market.
It’s all about finding ways that your restaurant stands out with experiences, items, or values that customers can’t get from your competitors. The public’s interest in clean eating has given rise to more plant-based options, and the market for meat alternatives is getting more lucrative. Overall, restaurants can expect growth in this sector, as steady as it’s been lately. Keep up with competitors by making creative, new, plant-based vegan meals that are better for the planet and for your customers’ health.
Healthy Eating in Your Restaurant
According to the Plant Based Foods Association and Good Food Institute, the market for vegan meats reached $1.4B in 2020. As people try to lose weight for summer or just turn to healthy eating as part of an overall trend toward taking care of their bodies, vegan and vegetarian diets will become even more commonplace. As that happens, more restaurants will offer them delicious options.v
So why is healthy eating getting more popular? We’re coming out of a long pandemic and over a year spent inside. People want food that does something for their physical and mental wellbeing. Clean eating fits the bill. As you cater to these new trends, you can expect an uptick in traffic to come with it. Manage your customer relationships better with a smart Point of Sale system.
