The plant-based food movement is on the rise, which is why Amy’s Kitchen, the national leader of organic and vegetarian frozen and canned foods, surveyed over 2,000 Americans nationwide to understand the motivations behind the meatless mindset better. Amy’s Kitchen found that while a majority of Americans express curiosity about vegan foods, parents are especially intrigued, with two-thirds (66%) of parents saying they’re curious about vegan foods.
Vegan Curiosity on the Rise – With more than 100,000 internet searches per month for “vegan recipes” and “vegetarian recipes”, it’s clear there is high demand for plant-based meals. The survey found that 52% of adults are vegan-curious and illustrated consumers’ desire for time-saving solutions to preparing plant-forward dishes. 56% of adults said they want shortcuts to plant-based meals.
Every individual may have their unique reasons, but the survey revealed Americans’ most common motivators for purchasing or eating plant-based foods were their health (55%), a desire to protect the environment (34%) and they preferred the taste of plant-based ingredients (28%).
“Whether or not consumers choose to go vegetarian or simply want to incorporate more plants into their diets when they choose Amy’s Kitchen they can count on the best ingredients,” said Chief Culinary Officer Fred Scarpulla. “This recent survey underscores consumers’ curiosity in plant-based meals, and we’re thrilled to feed that curiosity with delicious, organic vegetarian meals.”
Family-Friendly Meal Challenges – By all accounts, incorporating more plants into your diet has benefits. But for many busy adults, especially parents, preparing nutritious, family-friendly meals can be challenging. The survey found that nearly seven in 10 (69%) parents struggle to find convenient meals they feel good about feeding their kids and seek shortcuts to plant-based meals.
For the 61% of parents surveyed who look for frozen meal options that make it easier to prepare a healthy family meal, Amy’s Kitchen offers a variety of kid-friendly favourites that taste homemade, like Amy’s Spinach Pizza, Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese, and Amy’s Organic Black Bean Veggie Burgers.
Dietary and Lifestyle Restrictions – While food trends indicate Americans crave convenient mealtime solutions, the need for inclusive food products is even more pronounced for those with lifestyle dietary restrictions and the 32 million Americans with food allergies. The survey found that 45% of parents say they or someone in their household have dietary restrictions, nearly half of all households, and 72% of those parents claim that finding prepared foods that meet their family’s needs is extremely challenging.
Amy’s Kitchen prioritises inclusion when developing new recipes and therefore does not use any meat, peanuts, fish, shellfish, or eggs in any of their recipes. With more than 120 vegans, 100 gluten-free, and dozens of Kosher products, those with food sensitivities and allergies have a variety of snack and meal options to consider.
