Major trends driving plant-based foods
The plant-based food market is experiencing an extraordinary surge lately, taking the food market by storm. The last five years especially have seen veganism go mainstream. According to recent statistics, one-third of consumers are now choosing to reduce their meat consumption. Research also shows that the plant-based food market has more than doubled to $22.3 billion. So what’s responsible for this massive boom? Below are a few major trends driving the plant-based food market.
Growing acceptance of plant-based foods
First, there’s a growing mainstream acceptance of plant-based food and the availability of options. These foods have transitioned from niche products to mainstream offerings. Today, it’s easier to walk into grocery stores, supermarkets, and food outlets and purchase only plant-based options.
That means accessibility and visibility of such foods have increased significantly, playing a pivotal role in driving consumer acceptance. With more and more people now having the opportunity to try plant-based recipes and experience a different taste, the demand for these products is soaring.
More awareness of the impact of diet on health
Global acceptance aside, most people are looking to make an important step regarding their health. Experts have trumpeted the many health benefits plant-based alternatives have over animal-based foods, and it’s doing the trick. Studies show plants have favorable nutritional profiles, including more fiber, less fat (saturated fat and trans-fatty acids), less cholesterol, and lower calories.
That means they’re associated with lower risks of chronic diseases, like heart disease, obesity, and certain types of cancer. They also have a better impact on wellness in general, especially when used in products like supplements. Today, companies like CBDistillery focus more on solutions to help improve and support optimal health and wellness. Consumers are responding to this by incorporating more plant options into their diets.
Improvement in the taste of plant-based foods
Finally, there has been a massive improvement in the taste of plant-based foods, with the days of bland, unattractive, and limited plant-based recipes being a thing of the past. Newer and more delicious foods are springing up on restaurant menus worldwide.
Plant-based and vegan blogs publish content after content on various delicious meals you can try, and reviews are positive so far. Of course, plant-based foods and recipes are still improving by the day, which only means that people can look forward to more options regarding what they eat, making switching to plant-based foods a lot easier.
Climate change awareness
Climate change awareness is another crucial factor driving the popularity of these foods. There’s global concern about the earth’s direction regarding global warming, carbon emissions, sustainability, and eco-living. According to climate change and green-living activists, animal processing and consumption (or animal agriculture) alone is responsible for at least 14.5% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.
This contribution, studies show, is only second to the negative impact of fossil fuels. The same studies reveal that animal agriculture has a greater negative impact on the environment than the combined emissions from all global transport systems. This alarming fact is one of the main reasons many are turning to these foods to protect the environment, driving the plant-based food market.
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