Vegetarian eating is higher
profile than ever. Movies, books, articles, and celebrity interviews tout how
vegetarian foods reduce disease and obesity. More and more people are aware of
how standard American fare not only hurts our health but also harms the
environment and supports cruelty to animals.
It's
easier to eat vegetarian or vegan now than ever. Specialized products have
expanded from natural foods stores to mainstream grocers, discount chains, and
club stores. From fast food to five-star restaurants, vegetarian options are
becoming more commonplace.
Given
that the trends driving interest in vegetarian eating appear likely to
continue, savvy businesspeople can not only profit by catering to this need but
also build demand by offering delicious, convenient, and affordable plant-based
foods. Both would-be entrepreneurs and established professionals can benefit
from understanding the market and competition to determine the best
opportunities for success.
This
article begins by identifying the consumers seeking more vegetarian food of all
kinds, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat and dairy alternatives.
After exploring the implications for restaurants and non-commercial food
service, the analysis narrows to meat and dairy alternative products,
investigating market data, and trends.
Health is the leading
driver for vegetarian food consumption among non-vegetarians. Cultivate Research found that "the
primary reasons [that semi-vegetarians] noted for [their] decline in meat
consumption were due to the desire to attain a healthier diet, to reduce fat
and cholesterol, and to lose weight. Almost three-quarters, 73 percent, of
semi-vegetarians who reduced their meat consumption over the last year
considered one of these three reasons to be the primary reason for this
decision. Only 4 percent cited concern for animal suffering as their primary
concern, although 18 percent included animal issues as one of several
considerations."
Cultivate
Research and Vegetarian
Times both
found a more even split for health and animal concerns among vegetarians. Vegans are even more likely to be
compelled by their consideration for animals. Awareness of meat production's
environmental implications is also bringing more people to plant-based foods.
In a survey of its members, VRG found health, ethics, animal rights, and the
environment of nearly equal concern.
Vegetarian
foods that are healthful, free of animal products, and environmentally friendly
will appeal to the widest audience. To be sure that you are meeting your vegan
consumers' needs and not using ingredients they may perceive as inappropriate,
market and ingredient research would be a wise investment. Organic
certification, local ingredients, kosher certification, and absence of specific
allergens can also differentiate offerings. (Mintel reports that three in five
buyers of kosher products do so for perceived quality rather than for religious
reasons.) Of course, taste, price, and convenience-traditional purchase drivers
for all foods-are also important to customers for vegetarian foods. Finding the
optimal combination to maximize profitability requires careful analysis.
Restaurants provide
an ideal venue for people to try new dishes. More than 50 percent of people
order a dish without meat, poultry or fish sometimes, often, or always
according to a 2008 VRG poll.
Vegetarian dining is
just as hot in non-commercial food service operations, including office
eateries; university dining halls; elementary, middle and high school
cafeterias; and health care facilities.
Available numbers
from different companies address different parts of the vegetarian foods
market. The figures for market size and growth cannot be easily reconciled
across sources or previously published reports. However, the results
consistently suggest ongoing expansion for vegetarian foods, albeit at a slower
pace than in the earlier years of the new millennium.
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