It’s good to be a vegan in 2021. This and the past year have shown a significant uptick in newcomers joining the movement and recognizing all of its benefits. Many things have contributed to more people being interested in veganism.
Join us as we go over some of the most influential trends that made a difference, and that will make a difference in years to come! There is a good deal of exciting news, some of which could completely change the way we look at food!
Fast Food is Vegan Food in 2020-2021
One of the most exciting developments this past year has been the proliferation of vegan food across various fast food chains. Most brands have understood that their bottom line can greatly benefit from adding few vegan alternatives to their menu.
What came as a surprise was the sheer scope of brands that have answered the call. Heavy hitters such as KFC and Dairy Queen have already found vegan menu items that not only work but are becoming popular even among non-vegan customers. Other fast-food chains are following suit.
The biggest shock is yet to come, though. Veggie burgers are nothing new to vegans. However, meat-eaters are yet to find a non-meat burger alternative that can completely replace their craving for regular burger patties. That being said, Mcdonald’s has announced that it is working on its own version of a vegan burger that is said to be almost indistinguishable from its meat alternative.
This leads us to the next most important vegan trend that is about to rock the food industry in the coming years.
Viable Meat Alternatives
By now you’ve probably heard all about Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. These two brands are spearheading the development of viable meat alternatives that are plant-based, sustainable, and most importantly, taste just like the real thing.
Last year was crucial for this type of food product. Both Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods used to be too expensive for most general consumers, even most vegans. The price tag on their patties was simply too high.
However, that has changed. The two companies have found new ways of cutting down production costs, which is promising to drive down retail prices of their products by 20-30% in the upcoming period.
More importantly, both companies have come a long way in tweaking their products to match the needs of the general consumer. The good folks from Vegomm note that mimicking a real meat patty is a crucial requirement if we want to see meatless burgers enter the mainstream. So far, things are looking good. Better yet, both companies have announced exciting new things for 2021 and years to come.
Vegan Chicken – The UK Tour
A burger is not the only thing that is getting a vegan alternative. A massive part of KFC’s drive into the vegan segment was their introduction of vegan chicken. Sold mainly in the chicken burger form, this product has been wildly popular in almost every market where KFC is dominant.
As expected, it was only a matter of time before KFC’s closest competitors took notice. Over in the UK, KFC’s vegan chicken burgers made a serious dent in a market that is traditionally favoring poultry fast food products.
Brits love their fried chicken, which is why the success of vegan chicken in this market makes for such exciting news.
Eggs?
To say that finding a vegan alternative for meat was difficult would be an understatement. Yet, making meatless meat is child’s play compared to trying to recreate an egg without using any animal ingredients. The structure, texture, and overall taste of an egg have been incredibly difficult to recreate.
But wait, there’s good news! A company called Crackd has launched a vegan egg substitute that is promising to completely change the game. This company has managed to mimic not only the egg whites but also the yolk, which is an impressive feat on its own.
However, the most interesting fact about Crackd eggs is the nutritional values this product brings to the market. The company has managed to incorporate B12 vitamins, which has been one of the more difficult things to pull off.
Crackd egg was launched in 2020 and has since seen great success in the United Kingdom. The success of this egg alternative inspires confidence that we’ll see many more similar products hit the market in the very near future.
Vegan Sweets on the Rise
Savory vegan foods are not the only ones that are getting some TLC lately. Vegan desserts are many, but the assortment of vegan sweets has always been somewhat limited. Fortunately, that won’t be the case for long.
We’re seeing more and more large companies such as Mars, bring out vegan versions of their flagship products. Speaking of Mars, this company has been creating awesome vegan alternatives to their sweets for 3 years now.
Their success is promising to get more big shots into the fray. Vegan alternatives to popular milk chocolate products are becoming more viable for mass production with each passing day.
Mushrooms are Back
Mushrooms have always been an important part of vegan menus. Even so, we’ve seen many chefs increase their use of mushrooms as of lately. Furthermore, this awesome food is finding its way to tables in many vegan and non-vegan homes this year.
One reason for the sudden boost in demand for mushrooms can be traced to the fact that more and more large chains are diversifying their offerings of mushrooms. We’re seeing more varieties hitting the shelves.
If we’ve learned anything this past year, it’s that sustainable food is the only way to go. The vegan lifestyle is growing in popularity as people are coming to terms with the ecological impact of their eating habits.
Now that the industry is getting more and more interested in providing vegan alternatives to meat, we can expect to see all kinds of awesome food products appear on the market in upcoming years.
