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The Changing Economics of Food

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Fifty years ago, while traveling in rural areas, my vegetarian option was grilled cheese (on white bread) with fries, and maybe some soup if it was tomato or some such thing. But then Subway came along, and was followed by healthier options in all kinds of restaurants. A large Canadian Pizza chain that we go to a couple times a year has not one, put two vegi-burger options. It also serves bowls of quinoa and black beans. There is a ton of vegetarian and gluten free stuff, and the waitresses don't even look at you like you're weird. What the heck is going on?

Boss and I just returned from a short road trip to our neighbouring Canadian province, Saskatchewan. I have farmer in my blood so am always interested in crops. As a kid it was about 60% wheat, some barley, some oats, occasionally flax, and then Canola came along. This time I stopped to get out of the car no less than 5 times to investigate the crops. The 5 new crops were some type of pea, fava bean, chick peas, red lentils, and soybean. Some of it is for cattle, and some is for human consumption.

There are just so many trends:

- far less pop in the aisle, far more juice
- greater selection of veggies, addition of exotic imported stuff
- away from white everything
- less salt, less sugar
- hospitals have nutritionists
- organic
- buy local

So what's the deal? What's driving this, and are there more trends where you live?
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
So what's the deal? What's driving this, and are there more trends where you live?

Consumer demand. People want a "healthier option."

As you may know, I'm a vegetarian who is in the employ of a major fast food chain. Impossible Foods (who produces a plant based product that that tastes like meat) has partnered with my brand to roll out a QSR version of the Impossible Burger. Since the national rollout six weeks ago we are still at 50 units average unit volume and I'm sure there aren't that many vegetarians or vegans around to drive such sales. People are just looking for a way to eat healthier...to remove red meat from their diet.

While I'm undecided that this is a "healthier option," people, in general, want to heat healthier.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I know it's not universal as measured by the obesity rate

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sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Consumer demand. People want a "healthier option."

As you may know, I'm a vegetarian who is in the employ of a major fast food chain. Impossible Foods (who produces a plant based product that that tastes like meat) has partnered with my brand to roll out a QSR version of the Impossible Burger. Since the national rollout six weeks ago we are still at 50 units average unit volume and I'm sure there aren't that many vegetarians or vegans around to drive such sales. People are just looking for a way to eat healthier...to remove red meat from their diet.

While I'm undecided that this is a "healthier option," people, in general, want to heat healthier.
I'm on the "older" end of the spectrum as are most of my friends. There's nothing like a lifetime of reading articles about the health benefits of food along with noticing the negative effects of junk food to slowly change eating habits.

The back and forth of what is healthy/unhealthy (is coffee healthy or unhealthy this week) has caused us to basically ignore the latest breathless findings and eat moderately as well.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Consumer demand. People want a "healthier option."

As you may know, I'm a vegetarian who is in the employ of a major fast food chain. Impossible Foods (who produces a plant based product that that tastes like meat) has partnered with my brand to roll out a QSR version of the Impossible Burger. Since the national rollout six weeks ago we are still at 50 units average unit volume and I'm sure there aren't that many vegetarians or vegans around to drive such sales. People are just looking for a way to eat healthier...to remove red meat from their diet.

While I'm undecided that this is a "healthier option," people, in general, want to heat healthier.

Yup, but it seems to be accelerating. I'm no statistician though, just observant. They've also worked a lot on taste, which might be a factor as well.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I know it's not universal as measured by the obesity rate

Yes, I got that too. We notice it when we travel especially. Same chain restaurants, differing menus by location. Some places are more resistant to change? Some cultures are more resistant to change?
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Then again ... yesterday we were at the doc's office, and a new Filipino restaurant franchise had opened up a few weeks ago. The receptionist said on the first few days the line to get in was 8 hours. I went, "8 hours? You have got to be kidding!" Who would stand in line to eat for 8 hours? The menu just looked like a normal burger place menu.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Yup, but it seems to be accelerating. I'm no statistician though, just observant. They've also worked a lot on taste, which might be a factor as well.
Taste and mouth feel. Recently I had both an impossible burger and a meat burger and found that the taste was pretty decent. It was dry as prepared but with enough catsup, perfectly palatable.

As to healthy, I liked this review The Impossible Burger: A Detailed Nutritional Review Based on it, I would have no problem eating one from time-to-time.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Then again ... yesterday we were at the doc's office, and a new Filipino restaurant franchise had opened up a few weeks ago. The receptionist said on the first few days the line to get in was 8 hours. I went, "8 hours? You have got to be kidding!" Who would stand in line to eat for 8 hours? The menu just looked like a normal burger place menu.
We also will occasionally eat "unhealthy but delicious". There's a Burmese restaurant we love that's not "health food" by any means. But it's a very tasty "treat'.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Taste and mouth feel. Recently I had both an impossible burger and a meat burger and found that the taste was pretty decent. It was dry as prepared but with enough catsup, perfectly palatable.

As to healthy, I liked this review The Impossible Burger: A Detailed Nutritional Review Based on it, I would have no problem eating one from time-to-time.

We make our own burgers around here too. It's rather simple, but I'm sure the healthy fast food guys like Yves (Canadian company that does fake meat) don't want you to know that. I like plain buckwheat burgers myself, and besan is a wonder food for all kinds of stuff.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
We also will occasionally eat "unhealthy but delicious". There's a Burmese restaurant we love that's not "health food" by any means. But it's a very tasty "treat'.
Yes we do too. Pretty rarely though. Mine is Indian food. White rice, too much salt, too much oil.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I see a lot of the fake meat here that people want to think is healthy but its crammed full of sodium and with more calories than the regular meat stuff.
 
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