The future of food
Ten years ago we made a family choice to eat less meat. The immediate reaction from people was one of surprise. Some even asked if illness was behind our decision. The idea that you might opt for nutritious alternatives to meat because it improved your chances of staying healthy was totally overlooked. A decade down the track and times have seriously changed. The traditional Kiwi diet of meat and three vege has been superseded by an increasingly varied offering of flexitarian food.
A number of forces have driven global consumers to find substitutes to meat and it’s clear alternative proteins are gaining traction. Trends like ‘meat-free Mondays’ and ‘dairy-free days’ have seen an increase in the availability of vegan food offerings in the New Zealand market.
Restaurants and cafés have joined the movement and most will now offer soy, coconut or almond as an alternative to cow’s milk. Our desire to eat healthier is also changing the supermarket, with long term predictions seeing more fresh and refrigerated foods and less processed and packaged food.
“Reconsidering how we eat offers us hope, empowering us with choice over what our future planet will look like.”
James Cameron, filmmaker
Gaining momentum
Alternative meats such as plant-derived proteins and ‘clean’ meat (cell cultures grown from animal protein in a lab)
