How menus are addressing diner demand for healthier choices

Diners continue to look for healthier alternatives as they visit restaurants, and menus are evolving to meet that growing demand. Including healthier choices and trendy dishes is just the start, though. It’s not just about menu features, it’s also about the language you use. Trends come and go, and language changes to reflect what customers […]

Plant-based dishes appeal to a broad array of diners

In recent years, with more consumers adopting vegan and vegetarian diets, plant-based dishes have steadily gained menu real estate. However, it looks like the increased demand comes from a general shift towards healthy eating, rather than from vegans or vegetarians. RELATED: Consumers say plant-based diets are here to stay Recently, 29 per cent of consumers […]

How strategic labelling can increase your plant-based sales

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 […]

Canadians are looking for healthy, value-conscious menus

As diners return to their favourite restaurants and we try to adopt a more “business as usual” approach, how will restaurant menus need to change to reflect growing demand and new trends? Technomic has gathered some interesting data highlighting which menu items have gained the most popularity from pre-pandemic to today. Topping the list with […]

Protecting your bottom line with plant-based purchases

By Riana Topan Plant-based purchases may be the key to cost savings for restaurants. With food prices alarmingly high and threatening already-narrow profit margins, food service owners and operators are struggling to find ways to contain costs. According to Restaurants Canada, the price of food at grocery stores rose by 10.1 per cent between June […]

Consumers say plant-based diets are here to stay

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 […]

Health, environmental consciousness driving plant-based demand

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 […]

Plant-based meals are now a menu must-have

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 […]

Plant-based proteins still more expensive amid soaring cost of meat

Plant-based proteins have many benefits, not least an often comparatively reduced toll on the planet and the environment, but does their pricing limit their accessibility? A new report has found that plant-based proteins are still generally more expensive than meat products despite the soaring cost of much meat in recent months. The Agri-Food Analytics Lab at […]

Promoting plant-based foods to protect our planet

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 […]