Veggie life

The arrival of COVID-19 reopened concern for global health, food and the sustainability of the planet. In recent years, the food scene was dominated by veganism in the United States, England and Northern Europe.

Spain was not a leading country in following this lifestyle. However, the results of the Nestlé Observatory on Nutritional Habits highlight a 40% increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the country in 2020.

Conscious kitchen

The study affirms that, during the confinement, the Spaniards increased the consumption of fruit, vegetables and legumes; and 43% of the population reduced or eliminated the consumption of red meat. The trend to follow a healthier and more sustainable diet was reinforced with the arrival of the pandemic. Along these lines, more than 5 million Spaniards affirmed that they follow a flexitarian diet, that is, only sporadically consume meat and fish. Renowned vegetable chef Xavier Pellicer calls it a more conscious type of cuisine.

This mode of feeding based on local production is booming in our market. The Green Revolution annual report pointed out that in 2016, 1 in 10 Spanish women were vegetarians, while in 2020 they become 1 in 8. They also show another trend: more than 50% of vegetarians or vegans in Spain live in large cities. From Barcelona Culinary Hub they explain that until recently, vegetarian and vegan products were not easy to find outside the metropolises.

The rise of Spanish vegetable alternatives

However, the supply of plant-based products in the national market is growing a lot as a result of the boom in healthy and sustainable food. The Nestlé report points out that 25% of Spanish consumers tried meat substitutes in 2020.

This past year the big brands Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Unilever and Danone added vegetarian and vegan products to their offer..

Along the same lines, the Spanish startup Heura Foods tripled its sales during 2020, confirming the boom in the consumption of vegetable meats during the pandemic. According to Xavier Pellicer, the national market is responding to the new consumption habits of society, focused on respect for the environment. The Chef considers that the second trend of this last year is that the consumer has lost the fear of buying fruit and vegetable products online, that is, to contact the small producer directly.

Improve habits

Xavier Pellicer shares all these trends from the Training in Healthy Cooking and Vegetable World that he teaches at Barcelona Culinary Hub (BCH). Su Gasto Solution Healthy aims to teach restaurateurs to develop a gastronomic offer that nurtures body and spirit, conscious and sustainable cuisine.