Last month, I had the privilege of attending Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. This trade expo gathers all natural companies from small start-ups piloting make-your-own tempeh machines to the natural foods titans, such as Silk and Daiya foods.
When walking around the trade expo, wide-eyed with my clipboard in hand, one thing became clear–the natural foods industry is exploding.
Whether you call it a food revolution or a plantocalypse, our food system is being reinvented. Honey made without bees, cheese made without cow’s milk, and pork sliders made without meat were just a few of the things that I got to taste and try. And they were all fabulous.
Consumers are overwhelmingly using their purchasing power to guide the markets towards plant-based foods. The decision to put almond or soy milk into your coffee may have warranted second glances a decade ago, but today it’s commonplace. In fact, the market for non-dairy milk rose 155% between 2011 and 2013. Conscious consumerism is sweeping the United States, and millennials are taking the lead.
As the environmental, health, and animal welfare issues associated with eating animal products and byproducts have permeated our collective consciousness, switching from a hamburger made from cows to a hamburger made from veggies has become mainstream.
Now, I know what you may be thinking. When I say plant-based meat, you think of a flavorless, cardboard-like substitute that would maybe satisfy you if you were stranded alone on an island, but you’re doing just fine with your hamburger, thanks.
What if I told you that you could have all of the good parts of meat–the flavor, the texture, the protein–with none of the bad–the environmental degradation, unnecessary suffering, and cholesterol?
Vegetarians everywhere, rejoice! The question we’re all too familiar with, “Where do you get your protein?” will soon be a distant memory.
Companies like Beyond Meat have worked tirelessly to create the perfect plant-based replacement for animal protein. As CEO Ethan Brown told CBS This Morning, “[we] just take the amino acids, the fats, from another source and recreate those–we’re taking animals entirely out of the equation.”
And what is this “plant-based meat” even made out of, anyway? Contrary to popular belief, many plant-based proteins have simple, pronounceable ingredients. Beyond Meat’s products are made from non-GMO pea and soy protein, and a blend of all-natural seasonings.
Brown continued, “at the end of the day if you’re having beef and chicken and it comes directly from plants with no cholesterol, no saturated fat, or no trans fat, it’s better for you and it’s better for the environment.”
As a previously avid meat-eater, I can testify that their products could fool even the most committed carnivore.
As the consumer base for plant-based foods has expanded, so has their legislative and financial support.
The Plant Based Foods Association, a trade group launched at Natural Products Expo West, will use their legal and political savvy to, as stated on their website, “ensure a fair and competitive marketplace for businesses selling plant-based foods.” As executive director Michele Simon told Fortune, “[w]e just want to level the playing field.”
On top of gaining a voice in Washington, plant-based foods are receiving financial and strategic support from organizations like The Good Food Institute. Bruce Friedrich, its executive director, told ClearlyVeg, “[t]hrough market competition and food technology, we are speeding the global transition away from farming animals and toward much cleaner and better plant and culture-based meat, dairy, and eggs.”
The idea that satisfying, delicious protein has to come from an animal is outdated. You do not have to give up hamburgers, chicken tenders, or even pulled pork sliders to be an environmental steward. Just give the plant-based versions a try.
Our generation has been quick to re-define “traditional” concepts, such as marriage having to be between a man and a woman, and a woman’s role not being able to extend outside the home. Why not do the same for protein?
Annika is a senior majoring in political science, environmental studies and international studies. What do you think of these new "meat-free" protein products? Let us know at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
