It is believed that consumer confidence and misconceptions around plant-based meat products remain the most significant barrier to people incorporating more plant-based meals into their diets. Here, Martin Schlegel, procurement lead for plant-based proteins and red meat at HelloFresh, explores the food industry’s role in broadening plant-based alternatives’ appeal.

A survey conducted at the end of last year found that the appetite for plant-based meals is growing, with three in five (61%) of Brits saying they were keen to explore meat alternatives. However, half (50%) of UK consumers share the misconception that meals made with an alternative plant-based protein source are harder to prepare.

We continue to see a significant disconnect between what consumers say they want and the food choices they make, and often that is because people are not aware of the options available or due to disappointing taste experiences in the past. That’s where the food industry can help.

While it is definitely not the place of the industry to push customers into making any changes to their diets, recipe box suppliers, retailers and chefs need to collectively improve access to information, products and recipes that makes meatless dining experiences as easy to prepare, nutritious and tasty as possible. Plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products are currently the most innovative food products available in the food industry, addressing not only the CO2 problem but also acting as a major solution against factory farming.

Education and taste: Making alternative proteins more accessible

Food producers and recipe box brands should be passionate about giving their customers access to the foods they want to try, making efforts to provide a wide selection that suits their needs and preferences. To benefit from continued and sustained demand, they should be regularly reviewing ways in which customers can introduce plant-based alternatives into the meals they already enjoy – whether that be through recipe cards, or customer signage in store educating consumers on plant-based swaps.

There are plenty of scalable opportunities for the industry to provide customers with improved access and understanding about what is available. Plant-based alternatives can help consumers to make the transition to a meatless and dairy-free diet, simply by replacing a core element found on traditional dinner plates.

Customers should be given the option to swap protein options in their favourite dishes to try an alternative protein, something we’re implementing at HelloFresh alongside ensuring that each meal and recipe is clearly tagged in the menu, so customers can sort and filter their choice depending on their dietary preferences. 

Investment in the customer experience, and asking for feedback on taste, texture and ease to cook, should be a core part of business operations across the industry. This allows for consistent improvements and amends to all recipes – both plant-based and meat – to ensure they are hitting customer expectations and standards. In turn, this means that when a customer tries a new food or dietary choice, they can be assured that what they are cooking and tasting meets high standards of flavour and quality.

By offering a choice and a bit of education on where plant-based meat and dairy alternatives come from, plus the opportunity to try so many different options, the industry can help to demystify misconceptions around taste, flavour and texture when it comes to alternatives. As research shows, this deters 45%, 37%, and 35% of Brits, respectively.

When it comes to supplier networks, it is important to build a strong community of plant-based food producers to meet the same high standards brands should be upholding when it comes to taste and quality, meaning customers will always have access to the highest quality product on the market.

External influences on diet choices

Research also shows the food we eat is influenced by behavioural, financial and environmental factors. We all have dietary habits which can be hard to change, but by giving customers the choice to make small swaps and changes, there is hope that they feel empowered to eat as much or as little plant-based foods as they like. 

Cost is often cited as a major deterrent to swapping to plant-based ingredients, with 41% of consumers saying if choices were more affordable, it would be more attractive. This is predominantly due to the higher research and development costs needed to expand plant-based food, but we expect this to change over the next year or two, making an environmentally friendly choice increasingly more accessible to more customers. 

We know that the environment is impacting people’s lifestyle choices hugely. Research shows how two thirds (66%) of consumers acknowledge the positive environmental impact of a plant-based diet and there is a clear demand for politicians to facilitate informed decisions. While the industry doesn’t currently hold all the answers, it has been working tirelessly to play its part in reducing products emissions by exploring more local suppliers and sourcing more seasonal foods, as well as other operational measures like our ‘climate conscious’ recipe tag initiative, which labels dishes with at least 50% less carbon emissions than the average HelloFresh meal.

Positive food choices

Eating plant-based foods, or leading a completely plant-based diet, is all down to personal choice and our role in the transition is to ensure customers have access to the information they need to make an informed choice, whilst giving them easy access to plant-based alternatives if they want to try new foods or go all out and lead a fully plant-based diet. 

We are proud of the role the industry is playing in this transition for those who want to try it. Not least because it is doing the utmost not just to offer as many delicious recipes as possible, but to take customers on a new journey – educating them along the way about where their food has come from and the positive effect their choice is having on the wider environment. It is a privilege to play such an important role, at a time in history when what we’re serving up to consumers, to friends and to family is fundamentally changing across the globe.