Charlotte Radcliffe looks at the trend for plant based diets

Charlotte Radcliffe, a registered Nutritionist working closely with Just Eat, looks at the changes in people’s eating habits and how customers are increasingly looking for plant based alternatives when eating out. 

Health and well-being have become huge consumer considerations when eating out.  As business owners and operators you will know that it’s vital to keep in step with changing customer expectations; and the area of nutrition is no different.

Spotlight on Plant Based Diets

The number of people who identify themselves as vegans and vegetarians is on the rise (especially in the 16-34 year old age range), but it’s the rise in the plant based movement overall which has been most significant. The number of people who are actively trying to reduce their meat consumption (sometimes referred to as flexitarians) is growing apace.

This is reflected in the substantial increase in vegan, vegetarian and other healthier options ordered in the last twelve months across the Just Eat platform. Successful campaigns such as Veganuary and the development of numerous meat and milk substitutes have put plant based eating firmly in the mainstream.

Although vegan and vegetarian diets can often be extremely healthy, this is not an absolute given. Many plant based products contain higher levels of salt and sugar than their meat counterparts, and although plant based milks may have a sustainability halo, they don’t compete nutritionally with regular milk (almond milk as an example typically only contains around 2% almonds!). When advertising a food or beverage as being suitable for vegans, always ensure you are confident of the nutritional and allergen properties to avoid misleading consumers.

• Consider more vegetable led dishes 
• Include at least 1 portion of fruit/veg in kids meal deals.