Plant-based diet - The Future of Food

The rise of plant-based diets
In recent years, we’ve seen a boom in plant-based diets. This trend has turned many meat eaters into vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians. All of them have reduced their meat and dairy consumption in one way or another, and those following a vegan diet do not consume any animal-derived food products or ingredients. The latest statistics show the vegan population continues to grow. According to Statista, approximately four per cent of Brits identified themselves as vegan in 2022 (over six per cent as vegetarian and even more as flexitarian).

Boom for vegan products
The rising popularity of plant-based and flexitarian diets has helped to drive demand for vegan products. To tap into this demand, we’ve seen new brands catering to the meat-free and dairy-free audience, giving the customers what they want, fulfilling all their needs, and offering thousands of new vegan products, from meat and dairy alternatives to beauty and cleaning products. Also, large companies keep up with what is becoming a major shift in consumer tastes. Restaurants, fast-food chains and pubs also accommodated plant-based trends, offering more vegan options on their menus. According to Mintel, nearly a quarter of new food products launched in the UK in 2020 were labelled vegan, and almost two-thirds of Britons declared they started buying meat alternatives.

Reimagining the food system
These numbers are impressive, but it doesn’t matter how many products we put out on the market; in order to help our planet, we need more people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. The plant-based revolution is not only strictly about meat replacements; it’s about reimaging the entire food system, so it is healthier and more nutritious. Given the global population explosion and increase in wealth globally, the demand for foods of animal origin is higher than ever, especially in the poorer regions, and this leads to a climate catastrophe. A plant-based diet is the only way to change it.

Plant-based food quality
Even though vegan products carry so many environmental and health benefits, it’s not easy to attract regular non-vegan buyers. Vegan customers are always enthusiastic about new products, but the first plant-based alternatives could not convince everyone, especially regular meat eaters.
As it is easy to create superb quality vegan sweets and snacks, it is much harder to replicate the taste, texture and versatility of meat, eggs and dairy. As a result, for some years, the plant-based food industry compromised on taste, texture and performance.
Over time, plant-based food producers developed better technology and refined and reinvented their formulations, offering much better products. Today, we are at least a few steps closer to the ultimate best plant-based food experience in several categories. In the meantime, plant-based milk has become a new normal and a staple in nearly half of the British households; artisanal nut-based cheeses have become so unique that they deserve to make their own cheese category (btw according to data from Kantar 2022, 7% of UK households are buying plant-based cheese), and plant-based meats category led by companies like Beyond Meat or The Vegetarian Butcher offering super realistic burgers and nuggets, have gained some serious competition from smaller brands who are working hard to make their meat alternatives as close to the meat-counterparts as possible.

What are the plant-based consumers looking for?
Taste is the top driver for conscious consumers seeking plant-based food and drink. Taste is the top driver for conscious consumers seeking plant-based food and drink. Food does not only provide us with energy, but eating is a pleasurable experience and makes us feel better. The first few bites of that delicious meal trigger an irresistible double tap of dopamine in your brain. That’s why food has to taste good.

If you don’t like the taste product, would you buy it again?
Health is another critical factor for plant-based buyers. Products need to have a favourable nutritional profile. Consumers want more nutritious plant-based foods with fewer, healthier ingredients - the less unprocessed, the better. People simply want to buy plant-based products that will help them to live healthier lifestyles. That makes sense, right?
Sustainability is another important driver. More and more people are becoming more conscious consumers who are trying to reduce their environmental impact. A plant-based diet is the most planet-friendly diet. Latest studies suggest that plant-based diets, in comparison to diets rich in animal products, are simply more sustainable. The plant-based diet uses fewer natural resources and is less taxing on the environment. In fact, it is even better for the environment than the popular Mediterranean diet.

Plant-based food is here to stay
The growing awareness of climate change and the post-pandemic economical crisis suggest that plant-based food consumption will become even more important in the British market in years to come.
With better quality products, we can advance the plant-based revolution further and convince more people to replace their climate-heavy foods.
Although flexitarians would still continue to eat meat and dairy occasionally, they are a huge potential customer group for vegan brands, and if they buy more vegan products, they will contribute to minimising climate change and the suffering of animals.

Home of plant-based
Vegan Kind marketplace is the Home of Plant-based, a one-stop shopping destination bringing taste, health, sustainability and convenience in one place. It is a tool for new and popular brands to get closer to consumers and show them that plant-based food is the future of our food system, great for all.