South Africa may be considered a
meat-loving nation, but many are starting to make the transition to a more
plant-based lifestyle.
Mirroring international trends, plant-based diets are becoming more mainstream, with Google Trends data shows South Africa is the only African country with a sizeable vegan following.
Johannesburg recently came in at number
10 in a list of cities around the world with the best range of vegan options,
while Cape Town will host The Vegan & Plant-Powered Show on May 30 and
31, bringing the vegan, plant-based and conscious living revolution
to a mainstream audience.
Vegan options are commonplace on cafe and
restaurant menus, and in cities across the country you’ll find a growing number
of plant-placed eateries such as Kindred Kitchen in Port Elizabeth.
Blogs with a plant-based focus and
suggestions on how to ease into a vegan lifestyle are also on the increase. In
Cape Town, The Green Dietitian has quite a following.
Its originator, Jessica Kotlowitz, is a
registered clinical dietitian who is passionate about the use of plant-based diets
for the treatment and prevention of obesity and chronic lifestyle diseases.
Likewise, demand for vegan and
plant-based options continues to grow at retail outlets across the
country.
Checkers has seen a steady uptake in
customer requests for more vegan and plant-based alternatives over the past 12
months, with products from the Linda McCartney Foods range – which it stocks
exclusively in South Africa – especially popular.
Linda McCartney Foods is a gourmet range
of meat alternatives made from quality ingredients. It includes vegan and
vegetarian products such as burger patties, and red onion and rosemary
sausages.
https://youtu.be/Se6Tr8jnr0o
“Demand for vegan, plant-based, meat-free and dairy-free options continues to grow. Whether a customer is strictly vegan or just cutting down on meat and dairy, we are making sure we meet their needs,” says Checkers’ GM of marketing, Willie Peters.
Checkers now also has more than 90 vegan
products in its Simple Truth range, with vegan items making up the bulk of
total Simple Truth product sales over the past 12 months.
Products in this range include
convenience meals, breakfast staples such as cereal, muesli and almond milk),
snacks and pantry essentials such as apple cider vinegar, peanut butter,
mayonnaise and vegan noodles.
