January 22, 2026 As health-conscious consumers increasingly drive many of the menu trends, protein continues to dominate diner demand. Recent research shows that 69 per cent of Canadians say they plan to eat more protein in 2026, 81 per cent consider protein essential for their health, and 44 per cent list cost as a barrier to getting enough ...Read more about this post
April 16, 2024 By Nandini Roy Choudhury
As sustainability continues to drive consumer demand, alternative proteins on menus are starting to become a powerful tool to combat climate change across the globe and boost restaurant bottom lines. Leading companies, stakeholders, and suppliers are steadily investing in the development of new capabilities and resources to address the challenges associated with ...Read more about this post
December 8, 2022 By Riana Topan In Canada, many people may be surprised to learn how few laws are in place to govern the ethical treatment of farmed animals. The federal government regulates how these animals are handled during transportation and slaughter through the Health of Animals Regulations and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. These apply when animals have ...Read more about this post
October 26, 2022 By Makayla Dewit Imagine that you sit down at a restaurant, examine the menu, and see these two choices listed: low-fat vegan pasta and lemon-pesto rotini with fried capers. Which sounds more appetizing to you? It is almost certainly the second one. This example highlights the importance of thoughtfully labelling food and menu items to make them ...Read more about this post
September 28, 2022 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is redefining “healthy” food. The FDA on September 28 released the result of six years of consultations and revision: proposed new guidelines for assessing what constitutes “healthy” food. In short, something that is produced, advertised, or sold as “healthy” will now need to have the equivalent of one serving (or ...Read more about this post
September 26, 2022 Food bowls have become popular in recent years, with 35 per cent of Canadian restaurants now featuring either a savoury or sweet bowl option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Many consumers are looking for healthy, value-conscious meals, and food bowls fit the bill. Beautifully simple, bowls typically include a base, a protein, complementary toppings, and ...Read more about this post
August 15, 2022 How has the pandemic affected consumers and their everyday diets? A Packaged Facts consumer survey suggests that many consumers made the shift to plant-based diets during the pandemic. While this may have seemed like a temporary step, the survey shows that 30 per cent of participants are still eating more fruit and vegetables than they ...Read more about this post
August 4, 2022 By Eugene Y. Chan and Liangyan Wang
In 2018, Statistics Canada reported that nearly one in three Canadians were obese. Similar figures have been reported in Australia, but more concerning is the United States, where over 40 percent of the population is obese.
Obesity is not the only diet-related illness to be concerned about — diabetes is just ...Read more about this post
July 4, 2022 Starting in 2026, Canada will require that nutrition warnings are posted on the front of pre-packaged food with high levels of saturated fat, sugar, or sodium. According to the Canadian Press, the key reasoning behind the move is to help grocery shoppers make healthier choices with just a glance. The policy has been in the works ...Read more about this post
June 28, 2022 Consumers’ physical health goals and concerns about the environment continue to be the leading factors in driving demand for plant-based food. That’s according to the new “2022 Plant-Forward Opportunity” report from Datassential in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, Food for Climate League, and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative. The research found that more than one in five (21 ...Read more about this post
May 17, 2022 By Riana Topan The skyrocketing interest in plant-based meals has moved the industry from a “trend” to a global movement, and the growing market shows no signs of slowing down. Canadian consumers have demonstrated a consistent appetite for plant-based options, especially plant-based proteins, in recent years, with over 6.4 million people reducing or eliminating their meat consumption. Moreover, ...Read more about this post
May 16, 2022 What should a good menu include? The names and prices of dishes are a given, and other menus often display other details such as a description, dietary information such as calories, and the source of local products. But what about food’s carbon footprint? A team of researchers at Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg in Germany are ...Read more about this post
April 28, 2022 The Upcycled Food Association (UFA), the premier trade association for the upcycled food industry, has announced that its Upcycled Certified program has been expanded into Canada after what it calls “extraordinary success” in the U.S. market. Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and ...Read more about this post
April 21, 2022 Sustainable food is increasingly a focus of discussion for the food industry and the general public, and it seems it is top of mind for diners when it comes to ordering takeout, too. According to Deliverect data cited by Restaurant Dive, more than four in 10 (43 per cent of) diners would be willing to pay ...Read more about this post
April 12, 2022 By Riana Topan Earth Day, observed around the world on April 22, began as a celebration of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Today, it has become a global day of awareness and opportunity to learn about and take transformative action for the health of our planet. This year, the call to action centres on ...Read more about this post
