How is our high street changing to fit vegan demands?
I’m sure you’ve seen the many articles that discuss the recent explosion of veganism in both the US and the UK.
Following Gregg’s extremely successful launch of its vegan sausage roll, other fast food outlets have steadily released their own plant-based alternatives to traditional meat products. Hell, even Wetherspoons has its own vegan burgers now, which would have been unthinkable only five years ago.
Demand for vegan choices is undeniably accelerating. High street supermarkets such as the Co-Op are increasing their range of meat-free foods on a frequent basis, while The Guardian reported last year that vegan takeaway orders increased by 388% between 2016 and 2018. More of us are making meat-free choices and the demand has risen exponentially, a trend that’s being reflected in our high streets.
Becoming a fully blown vegan is still an intimidating prospect, though, particularly if you’re someone who’s not all that experienced with cooking complex meals or informed about nutrition.
Is it difficult to make the switch?
It can be easy to want to make the switch without knowing how to. The University of Bath’s study found that out of 1,000 UK participants, 83% said the shift ‘wouldn’t be easy’, which makes clear that while there are more options, it’s still not a seamless transition for many of us. The good news however is that a plant-based lifestyle is becoming more socially acceptable, with 60% of those surveyed saying they don’t see veganism as something to be shunned.
The real difficulty can come from knowing where to begin. Plant options can feel limiting when it comes to meal ideas and social situations, many of which won’t have vegans or vegetarians in mind. None of us want to be eating beans on our own at a party while everyone else gorges on steak.
A quick look on Amazon will give you a ton of vegan cookbooks which can be a useful starting point, though, and you’ll find plenty of meat substitutes in supermarkets, usually found in the same aisle. It is possible to educate yourself and change, but it still feels like going against a tide much larger than yourself.
We should celebrate the surge in interest for meat alternatives and be excited for the future, but it would be premature to celebrate a woke, vegan society in 2020, given that it remains a niche lifestyle. You’ll still be bombarded with adverts for the latest ‘chicken zinger’ bucket meal for the foreseeable future, and it’ll be hard to convince older boomers to give up an aspect of their diets they’ve been used to for decades. Becoming vegan in 2020 is easier than its ever been, but that still doesn’t mean it’s easy.
I myself am guilty of wanting to go meat free but have never been able to fully make the jump (I also just found out chickens enjoy swings, which is heart breaking). As more vegan meals crop up on local restaurant menus, and as supermarkets continue to stock new plant-based versions of meat favourites, that leap will become less and less daunting.
We’re not quite there yet, but it’s certainly an exciting time to be dropping meat from your diet.
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