Consumption of meatless dishes remains strong as consumers increasingly follow restrictive specialty diets, according to new Technomic study

CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More consumers now than in 2016 say they are following restrictive specialty diets, Technomic discovered in the 2019 Center of the Plate: Seafood and Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report. While a significant majority of consumers do not follow a specialty diet, those who do are most likely to classify themselves with flexible terms such as “semivegetarian” or “flexitarian.”

“This desire for flexibility highlights the fact that dietary lifestyle choices are often not all-or-nothing decisions for consumers,” explains Bret Yonke, manager of consumer insights at Technomic. “Semivegetarian and flexitarian diets appeal to those who aspire to eat healthier while still providing leeway to splurge on meat or seafood occasionally. To cater to shifting behaviors, operators can offer protein substitutes for certain dishes or create a handful of build-your-own options that give consumers an even greater level of control.”

Key takeaways from the report include:

• 71% of consumers eat seafood at least once a month
• 50% of consumers eat vegetarian or vegan dishes at least once a month
• 27% of those who eat vegetarian/vegan dishes say restaurants do a good job of providing options that taste good

Compiling findings from 1,700 consumer responses, along with menu and industry data from the Ignite database, the 2019 Center of the Plate: Seafood and Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report serves as a guide for foodservice operators and suppliers to better understand how consumption, attitudes and preferences toward meatless menu items are evolving.

Technomic publishes a complete library of Consumer Trend Reports. To learn more, please visit technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below.

Contacts:

Press inquiries and report details: Anne Mills, (312) 506-3867, amills@technomic.com
Purchasing details: Patrick Noone, (312) 506-3852, pnoone@technomic.com

About Technomic
Technomic, Inc., a Winsight company, was founded as a management consulting firm in 1966. Since then, Technomic’s services have grown to encompass cloud-based B2B research tools, consumer and menu trend tracking, as well as other leading strategic research and analytic capabilities, to prioritize and size business opportunities. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants, retailers and multiple other business verticals aligned with the food industry that are looking to make informed decisions to support their business growth. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.

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SOURCE Technomic