There’s this meme. A person at a restaurant asks for the vegan option and is served a plate of lettuce with a couple lemon wedges. Eating plant-based at restaurants used to be difficult. No more! The industry is rapidly changing.
Why? Consumer demand. And interestingly, vegans aren’t driving this trend. It’s coming from omnivores wanting to reduce their meat consumption for health and environmental reasons.
Did you know…
- More than one in four US consumers reduced their meat consumption in 2020, a trend that is expected to continue.
- 33% of younger restaurants diners (ages 18-34) are increasingly seeking out vegetarian/vegan main courses as their first choice.
- 27% of older adult restaurant diners are increasingly seeking out vegetarian/vegan main courses as their first choice.
- 51% of chefs have added vegan menu items (up 31% from last year).
There are times when I’m out for a celebratory dinner that I’m open to meat and dairy, especially if it’s the restaurant’s signature dish. But more and more I order the plant-based option to keep the trend going. The more we order plant-based, the quicker the message reaches the top.
Next time you’re out, consider the plant-based option, and for tips on dining out, listen to this week’s podcast.
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