Current Events > More and more people are turning to meat-less food.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22385612/plant-based-meat-milk-alternative-protein

It can be hard to keep up with the plant-based food industry. Every month seems to bring buzzy product launches and press releases from startups about the millions of dollars theyve raised from investors. At the same time, big-name traditional food companiescontinue to launch their own lines of dairy- and meat-free foods at a rapid clip.

Each year the Plant Based Foods Association and the Good Food Institute the two main groups that advocate for meat and dairy alternatives publish a state of the industry of sorts, analyzing how these products actually perform in grocery stores. Its a useful zoom-out that helps put the blitz of plant-based food development into perspective.

Their latest report looked at 2020 sales figures and found that as with the previous year plant-based food retail sales grew much faster (27 percent) than the total US retail food market (15 percent). And this wasnt just on the coasts; there was more than 25 percent growth in all US census regions.

Plant-based meat sales grew by 45 percent and plant-based milk sales were up 20 percent from 2019.

In the mid- to late 2010s, it was common for journalists and market research groups to predict plant-based as the next big trend. Years later, its clear that its more than a trend its a sizable sector of the food industry, especially alternative dairy, which is becoming less and less alternative.

Fifteen percent of fluid milk sales in retail are now plant-based, plant-based butter is at 7 percent, and plant-based coffee creamer 6 percent. Some subcategories of plant-based meat are getting more and more consumer dollars, too for example, 2.7 percent of packaged meat sales are now plant-based. To be clear, these figures are for sales, not volume. Since plant-based products tend to cost more than their animal-derived counterparts, the actual volume of plant-based milk and packaged meat that Americans are picking up at the grocery store is likely a good amount lower than 15 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.

Despite the relatively small share of grocery dollars spent on plant-based foods, investors are confident that alternative proteins will continue to capture more and more of the overall food industry. Last month, GFI reported that in 2020 alone, the alternative protein sector raised $3.1 billion from investors. Thats more than half of all the money raised in this space over the past decade. Much of the $3.1 billion went to big names like Impossible Foods and Oatly, but many newer companies got a boost, too.

I eat stuff like Beyond Meat burgers time to time. They have their place (good for those days when youre tired as hell after a long day and want something quick).

But I prefer whole food, plant-based food. Stuff like black beans, chickpeas, tempeh, etc.

What about you dudes?

dolomedes posted...

been vegetarian for six years, some periods of vegan but not currently.

i prefer veg to overly-processed, over-priced, over-marketed meat alternatives.
i love seitan and tofu tho and always always down to try new things as long as they're vegan

Those meat alternatives taste hella good. Theyve come a long way.

Awards posted...

Those meat alternatives taste hella good. Theyve come a long way.

I know. Gone are the days when meat-less burgers and more tasted like cardboard.

If I want to eat a burger, I'll eat a meat burger. If I want to eat a plant, I'll eat a plant plant.

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Been vegan for 5 years. Beyond is getting into McDonalds and Taco Bell soon.

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Krojen posted...

Been vegan for 5 years. Beyond is getting into McDonalds and Taco Bell soon.

Crazy how mainstream its becoming.

10-15 years ago there was barely any of this.

I legitimately don't get why you would eat non-meat that looks like meat.

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It doesn't surprise me at all, Americans have been eating so much more meat than any countries and I think new generations and the older ones are making changes due to both ethical, health, and just preferences changing.

fuming posted...

It doesn't surprise me at all, Americans have been eating so much more meat than any countries and I think new generations and the older ones are making changes due to both ethical, health, and just preferences changing.

Exactly.

It doesnt shock me, but me and my family tend to kill enough deer to eat off of for the majority of the year.

We also fish, so the majority of meat that I eat is good meat that has not been injected with steroids.

Hunting is also good for the soul, something about being out in the woods hunting animals just gives you that primal rush that you cant get anywhere else.

I prefer black bean burgers to the meat imitation patties, personally. I have friends who swear by the Impossible Whopper though.

Some vegetarian stuff is good. My roommate recently made country gravy with veggie "sausage" that was good. Didn't taste exactly like real thing, but it was pretty close. I'm also a fan of Gardein's "beefless ground" and genuinely can't tell the difference when it's used in stuff like chili. I'm actually gonna make chili cheese tots tonight.

AThirstyCamel posted...

It doesnt shock me, but me and my family tend to kill enough deer to eat off of for the majority of the year.

We also fish, so the majority of meat that I eat is good meat that has not been injected with steroids.

Hunting is also good for the soul, something about being out in the woods hunting animals just gives you that primal rush that you cant get anywhere else.

@AThirstyCamel Do you like the taste of deer meat?

Im sticking with meat

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_Rinku_ posted...

I prefer black bean burgers to the meat imitation patties, personally. I have friends who swear by the Impossible Whopper though.

Some vegetarian stuff is good. My roommate recently made country gravy with veggie "sausage" that was good. Didn't taste exactly like real thing, but it was pretty close. I'm also a fan of Gardein's "beefless ground" and genuinely can't tell the difference when it's used in stuff like chili. I'm actually gonna make chili cheese tots tonight.

Bean and veggie burgers definitely taste better than those meat imitation patties.

ZannoL posted...

@AThirstyCamel Do you like the taste of deer meat?

Of course. Deer is my second favorite food right behind crawfish.

Crawfish boils are another thing me and my family and friends excel at.

We dont hunt them ourselves tho.

More meat for me

_Rinku_ posted...

I prefer black bean burgers to the meat imitation patties, personally. I have friends who swear by the Impossible Whopper though.

Bean patties are too dense for my tastes. Could be the brand I've tried obviously. Been awhile since I've got any though.
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hockeybub89 posted...

I legitimately don't get why you would eat non-meat that looks like meat.

I dont believe you.

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dolomedes posted...

don't really like beyond meat and things like it. i don't eat meat so i don't want to eat something that tastes like meat. also they're gross when uncooked - greasy, tacky, pink...

True

the stuff ive had doesn't taste like meat, but it still tastes good. just not like meat. i think it was a burger and sausage or whatever.
2 years ago, before i knew about the context of impossible referring to plant shit meat, i got the impossible taco from Del Taco. tasted like a taco. only when i read the wrapper did i discover "what this is made from plant shit? astonshing."

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Splatoon_2 posted...

2 years ago, before i knew about the context of impossible referring to plant shit meat, i got the impossible taco from Del Taco. tasted like a taco. only when i read the wrapper did i discover "what this is made from plant shit? astonshing."

Del Taco is good. Love that place.

Sorry, I cant get past the smell. Its literally one of those things you can taste by smelling it. I almost threw up once watching someone eat the meatless burger from BK. It smells like microwaved cat food.

Plus, its packed full of estrogen and all types of hormones and chemicals that you dont get eating real meat.

I would rather not eat any type of meat than eat that soy crap.

I would never dishonor meat like that.

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Bump.

Good for them

I'm on a Mediterranean diet since this is where I live. Meat is a part of it, but so are other things in equal measure.

I do not eat processed food though.

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I personally just stick to a whole food plant based diet, pretty sure with all Ive read about nutrition that its optimal both for health and environment, my wife and kids are too picky for that though

you need quite a bit of discipline to pull it off though, not for everyone

Majority voting not surprised.

I've been vegan for a little over three years. My culture and location both lend greatly to an over-consumption of animal products, so even though I knew long ago that I didn't want to eat animals anymore, it took a while to actually put that into action. Lots of people I know routinely express the desire to eat less meat but not many have taken steps to do so, for one reason or another. I'm not sure what it would take for them to reduce or eliminate their intake because they poopoo everything that could possibly help them bridge the gap.

I mostly stick to whole foods myself. Healthier, cheaper, and more accessible for me. I'll have a Beyond Burger here and there or pick up some Just Egg if those items are on sale but I don't go out of my way to get them. Most of the time I've tried meat alternative products have been when people try to accommodate me at gatherings, which hasn't happened in a while for obvious reasons.


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Do people not realize that conventionally grown meat (which is the kind most people buy because it's cheap) is full of chemicals and hormones and other nasty stuff too?

Just putting that out there for all those people who keep saying meat-less burgers are full of estrogen.

getting stuff plant based rather than animal based involves an order of magnitude of less resources, so it should be cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Part of the reason meat is so cheap (in USA) is agricultural subsidies, which would be better allocated towards this along with dairy/egg production specifically and less so for pure meat output.
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I like veggie sausages for breakfast.

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Awful

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This fantasy some vegetarians/vegans have that one day the world will unanimously be on a meat-less diet is...something.

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Jackfruit tacos aren't so bad, mostly because fucktons of cumin and cayenne.

SquirtleSkwad posted...

This fantasy some vegetarians/vegans have that one day the world will unanimously be on a meat-less diet is...something.

I don't think anyone in this entire topic has said anything like that.

You might be projecting.

Sure lets confuse our bodys digestion even more with uber processed foods amiright?

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Seitan is really good. Kinda pricey though, and I don't think I have the patience to make it.

I eat pretty much vegetarian at home since I can easily cook my food. But when I'm traveling for work or whatever, I just end up eating meat. At times it's too much effort for me to try to find something I like that's meatless. But it's just me being lazy
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Why isnt there a big vegan fast food chain yet? It seems like a no brainer

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Currently on flexitarian mode. Havent had pork or beef in some years but will occassionally eat chicken. Chickens not too bright so i dont feel too bad. But mostly a lot of bean burritos and bean and cheese burritos for me. Cheese and Mushroom pizza etc.

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I'm not vegetarian/vegan myself, but the meatless alternatives aren't bad and I fully support people hopping on this trend.

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fuming posted...

It doesn't surprise me at all, Americans have been eating so much more meat than any countries and I think new generations and the older ones are making changes due to both ethical, health, and just preferences changing.

I think the steady rise in cost for meat products also has something to do with it. Meat is more expensive.