6 signs the vegan diet has gained mainstream traction
April 23, 2015
There’s commotion every time a famous person tries giving up animal products -- it happened when the world discovered Bill Clinton's plant-based diet, and another when Jay Z and Beyonce announced their own vegan experiment a little over a year ago. But Beyonce has launched a vegan meal delivery service, which seems to mark a whole new phase of celebrity veganism. Whether or not she herself sticks to a strictly plant-based diet, she seems to believe in it -- its health benefits and its market potential -- enough to build an entire business that relies on its popularity. [Image credit: Gettyimages]
It may be referred to increasingly as a plant-based diet, but vegan foods have been gaining a larger foothold in mainstream food culture. We look at a few emerging signs that underscore this shift.
The successful Vega line of meal replacement bars and shakes is now sharing shelf space with all manner of protein powders and other plant-based fitness-minded products. Pea protein has been trending in this area, with Garden of Life, PlantFusion and Pisane protein among the most popular or fastest-growing brands.
It seems like there is a new vegan or vegetarian-themed festival on the map every year, but 2015 is big for one of the main events in the country. The L.A. Vegan Beer and Food Festival is upgrading to the Rose Bowl. The festival, now in its sixth year, sold out last year's festival on the Sunset Strip and needed more space.
Enough said.
Researchers and food companies have been racing to come out with better and better plant-based replacements for all kinds of meat and, the long-time ultimate vegan obstacle, cheese. Seattle-based Field Roast seems like it expands its offerings by the day, the Gardein line is popular and even on the menus of restaurants like the national chain Yard House, and the Bill Gates-backed Beyond Meat has come out with what might be the most realistic substitutes yet for chicken and beef. Now trying to join the ranks is Real Vegan Cheese, an Oakland-based venture that's working to make cheese from the same proteins found in cow's milk, but without using any cows.
Native Foods, the Chicago-based fast-casual vegan restaurant, now operates at least 25 locations nationwide and plans to open up to 200 more in the next few years. And other restaurants that formerly kept vegans eating simple salads or a "chef's vegetable platter" at best are now offering more vegan options for diners. Even the Sheraton hotel in Israel won over a dining critic and her vegan son for their newly-added vegan menu options. [Image credit: Native Foods on Facebook]
Native Foods, the Chicago-based fast-casual vegan restaurant, now operates at least 25 locations nationwide and plans to open up to 200 more in the next few years. And other restaurants that formerly kept vegans eating simple salads or a "chef's vegetable platter" at best are now offering more vegan options for diners. Even the Sheraton hotel in Israel won over a dining critic and her vegan son for their newly-added vegan menu options. [Image credit: Native Foods on Facebook]
*Nutrition Business Journal dives into market data around veganism as well as paleo, gluten free and other food movements in the 2015 NBJ Food Tribes report available for purchase here.
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