By Dan Curtin, President
Greenleaf Foods
Many of us find comfort and pleasure in simple pleasures, even during times of turmoil. Great burgers are a great example.
COVID-19’s dramatic changes have made it difficult to enjoy some of these simple pleasures, such as the loss of the animal meat market. Meat plants closing means meat is becoming harder to find and more expensive. To reduce pantry loading, some grocers limit the meat that they sell.
As the pandemic recedes, I am certain these issues will be addressed. The supply chain will be restored and the animal meat sector will rebound. However, right now you might be asking yourself: What are my options without meat?
This is the right time to start looking into plant-based proteins. Made from simple ingredientsYou already know that Lightlife plant-based meat is as nutritious as it is delicious. The products can be found in the meat case of your local grocery store.
To be clear, I am not against the use of animal meat. I believe that we all are trying to solve the complex problem of how to feed Americans during this crisis. But, I don’t believe any diet should be completely dependent on animal products. Lightlife is committed in delivering these products. plant-based proteinTo ensure that as many people as possible can access the food they require, there are several locations across the country.
Lightlife does not ask you to give up meat from animals. You can eat meat if you wish. We believe that you should also eat whole plants as well as plant-based proteins. We are committed to providing more high-protein options at your table. The trend towards eating more plant-based proteins began long before COVID-19. It was driven by a desire to have more variety and balance in our diets. This is evident by the fact that 44% of Americans are now considered flexitarians.
Lightlife sales increased by a significant amount in the first quarter of 2020. The Good Food Institute predicts that the category of plant-based meat will grow three-fold over the long-term, with a 3x increase in American households purchasing plant-based proteins1.
It is a fact that it takes more effort to make a good hamburger these days, even if you use simple ingredients. We are committed to your dinner table. Your lunch table. You can also have a burger for breakfast at your breakfast table.
Our production teams work tirelessly to make sure our products are readily available at your local grocery store. This is something I am proud of. We have taken extra steps to ensure their safety and health, including daily temperature checks and screenings, face covers, increased sanitation efforts, staggered start and break times, as well as social distancing whenever possible. These are in addition to the routine personal protective equipment (PPE), and sanitation procedures that our team is familiar with.
All this is part of our commitment to bringing high-quality, plant based protein to your table. We can all agree that a good hamburger is great, regardless of whether it is made with ground beef or other plant-based ingredients. That simple pleasure is something I believe we can all share again.
1 The Food Industry Association and IRI. (2020). Understanding the plant-based food consumer.
