From Damian Trippani

Monroe

To the Editor:

With Christmas and Hanukkah behind us, we look forward to the new year and New Year’s resolutions: to step away from social media, lose some weight, and, perhaps, to go vegan. Yes, that.

A third of consumers report reducing consumption of animal foods. Hundreds of college campuses, schools, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias have embraced Meatless Monday. Even fast-food chains like Chipotle, Burger King, Subway, and Taco Bell have rolled out plant-based options. Now McDonalds is hinting at a plant-based burger in 2022.

New plant-based companies, led by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, are creating healthy, eco-friendly, delicious plant-based meats, while meat industry giants Tyson Foods, Cargill, and Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods have invested heavily in plant-based meat development.

According to the Good Food Institute, sales of plant-based foods that directly replace animal products have grown 27% in the past year to $7 billion. Sales of plant-based cheeses, butter, yogurts, and ice creams are exploding at a 50% growth rate and plant-based milks now account for 35% of the milk market.

A vegan New Year’s resolution requires no sweat or deprivation — just delicious, healthier options that are better for your health, the planet, and the animals.