Plant-based eating may not be entirely mainstream yet, but it is becoming more of a norm every day. It’s moved beyond a fad and become a trend, delivering on current hot button issues: health, diet, environment, ethics and science. But you may be wondering what exactly is plant-based eating? The definition may depend on who you ask. Some would say it is the elimination of all meat from your diet. But as the trend grows, many more are just increasing the amount of plant-based foods in their diets without eliminating meat, and just to complicate things, call this plant-forward eating.
Millennials are still considered the central drivers of this worldwide shift, but the plant-based movement is bigger than any one generation. Mainstream health organizations are recommending a plant-forward diet, including Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare organization in the U.S.; the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee; and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Large foodservice organizations including Panera Bread, Hilton Hotels, Stanford University, Unilever, Sodexo, and Google have developed “plant-forward” menu items to accommodate consumer demand.
Google has seen a 90% increase in “vegan” searches in 2018, while data from Nielsen and the Plant Based Foods Association reveal that sales of plant-based foods increased by 20% to more than $3.3 billion in 2017.
A recent meat alternative survey conducted by the California Walnut Board reports that 83% of Americans are open to making plant-based dishes, particularly if the texture and flavor is comparable to recipes containing meat.
We have been leveraging the powerful whole food goodness of California walnuts in the plant-based eating environment via numerous methods:
- Highlighting plant-based recipes and recipe collections in consumer print, digital and native ads
- Creating social media content supporting plant-based eating by sharing recipe inspiration and plant-centric recipe videos
- Launching a social media series #meatlessmondaymeals
- Sharing tips and resources on incorporating more plant-based protein into diets
- Targeting Food Manufacturers and Foodservice operators with educational videos showcasing the versatility of walnuts in creating meat-alternatives, dairy and gluten-free creams and butters.
- Reaching key decision makers in Food Manufacturing and Foodservice with a series of print and digital ads encouraging them to “Rethink Walnuts”.
- Pitching editors of consumer, foodservice, and food manufacturing publications to ensure California walnuts are featured in the many articles being written about the plant-based eating trend.
California Walnuts are a great option to use in plant-forward dishes with their wonderful crunch and mild, nutty flavor. They are so versatile they work in a wide variety of recipes.
Some of the most successful California walnut plant-forward applications include “Chorizo” Meat Free Bolognese, Omega Burger, Hummus and Walnut Cream and the recipes can be found here.
