With the update to Canada’s Food Guide last year, consumers were encouraged to reach for protein that wasn’t meat – and 2019 became the year of ‘plant-based eating’. Dubbed the ‘plant-based revolution’ by Chatelaine, many Canadians continue to choose plant-based meat alternatives for health and environmental reasons.
According to Insights West, 27% of Canadians said they were likely to consider a vegetarian diet and 11% would go further and explore a vegan diet. Of this number, it’s the 18-34-year-olds (Gen Z through Millennials) who are especially receptive, with 38% of younger Canadians considering becoming vegetarian.
This presents an opportunity to market plant-based protein alternatives to consumers who are interested in adopting this lifestyle, and peanuts are a prime choice. Extremely versatile, peanuts and peanut butter can be easily incorporated into many dishes as the primary protein source: noodles, stir-fries, salads and soups, for example. Plus, one serving (¼ cup/60 mL of peanuts or 2 tbsp/30 mL of peanut butter) is chock full of protein, fibre, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals recommended for daily consumption in Canada’s Food Guide.
Educating consumers on the many benefits of choosing peanuts and peanut butter as primary protein choices can help steer their plant-forward choices – and help launch Canadian foodservice and retail grocers into 2020!