2020 Foodservice Trend: The Revolution of Plant-Based and Vegan
By Brett Dworski on Apr. 30, 2020Plant-based items captivated the attention of consumers in 2019, whether seen in vegan energy bars, almond milks or veggie-based snacks. Plant-based meat alternatives also skyrocketed last year: Nearly a quarter (23%) of all consumers and 29% of millennials said they would consider ordering plant-based burgers at a foodservice establishment, according to Technomic’s Convenience Market 2019 Annual Report. Consumers can dabble in plant-based burgers at a handful of c-store chains today, including Rutter’s and Sheetz, while Alltown Fresh highlights plant-based creamers and milks at its coffee bar.
What follows are eight products that meet the plant-based/vegan trend, as well as additional insight from Technomic.
Vegan Meatballs
Esti Foods’ Vegan Meatballs are made with hydrated texturized protein—a combination of water, wheat gluten, soy flour and soy protein—coconut fat, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, potato fibers, dried onions, mushrooms, bamboo fiber, beetroot concentrate and other plant-based ingredients. They can be cooked in a variety of ways, including in fryers at 320 degrees Fahrenheit, ovens at 350 degrees or heated in microwaves for 10 to 12 minutes. The meatballs contain 19 grams of plant-based protein per serving.
estifoods.com
Plant-Based Yogurt
Yogurt maker Siggi’s plant-based recipe is high in protein and low in sugar. The dairy-free coconut blends are rich and creamy like yogurt but made with a blend of coconut, macadamia and pea protein. Each 5.3-ounce cup contains 10 grams of protein and 8 to 9 grams of sugar. The snack comes in vanilla cinnamon, mixed berries, raspberry and mango varieties.
siggis.com
Plant-Based Roll Dough
New Plant-Based Roll Dough from Rich’s Foodservice is made with a variety of vegetables and legumes. They come in two blends: cauliflower roll dough and sweet potato and honey brioche roll. Rich’s offers operators several recipes that feature the rolls, including a Fried Chicken Sandwich on the cauliflower bun or a BBQ Pork Picnic Sandwich on the sweet potato and honey roll. The fresh-baked rolls are free of artificial flavors and colors, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.
richsfoodservice.com
Plant-Based Coffee Creamers
Laird Superfood’s new liquid coffee creamers are made from various plant-based ingredients, including mushrooms and aquamin, which is a calcium from marine algae. The creamers are free of any additional flavorings. Flavors include Unsweetened, Original and Vanilla, each of which will arrive in stores this spring.
lairdsuperfood.com
One Plant Bars
Protein bar manufacturer One Brands recently launched two new varieties of its plant-based One Plant Bars: Churro and Carrot Cake. Each bar is made with various plant-based proteins, such as pea, rice and almond protein, as well as corn fiber and almonds. Each bar also contains 12 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar.
one1brands.com
Krave Plant-Based Jerky
Amplify Brands’ new Krave Plant-Based Jerky caters to consumers’ evolving dietary needs and on-the-go snacking demands. The jerky has a taste and texture similar to Krave’s Gourmet Meat Cuts but instead is made with peas and fava beans. It has 8 grams of protein per serving and comes in Smoked Chipotle and Korean BBQ flavors.
amplifysnackbrands.com
Hippeas Tortilla Chips
Hippeas Organic Chickpea Snacks is expanding its lineup with Hippeas Tortilla Chips. The USDA-certified organic, gluten-free and vegan plant-based snack has 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per 1-ounce serving. Three flavors are available: Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin’ Ranch and Jalapeno Vegan Cheddar.
hippeas.com
Pigless Pork Rinds
Plant-based snack company Outstanding Foods’ PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds are a vegan, plant-based alternative to traditional fried pig skins. Pigless Pork Rinds are available in Original, Nacho Cheese, Hella Hot and Texas BBQ flavors. The snack comes in 1-ounce and 3.5-ounce bags.
outstandingfoods.com
Fifty percent of consumers who eat vegetarian or vegan items on a monthly basis, according to Technomic’s 2019 Seafood & Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report.