Presentation for food content team, marketers on opportunities that exist now and in the future for evolution of veggie-friendly recipes, new ways of eating, vegetarianism, etc.
2. A Fresh Take Global Flavors Family Kitchen
Healthy Living Fun Food
Pairing GMI brands with seasonal ingredients –
from produce to herbs – capitalizes on
consumers’ increasing desire for freshness and
whole foods. An increase in Farmers Markets
and CSA memberships supports cooking with
the seasons.
From Middle Eastern street food to authentic
Japanese ramen, interest in global cuisines
continues to grow & is a key opportunity for our
brands to create new ideas to stay relevant.
Today’s family is food-obsessed. They make and
share meals together (often while watching
reality cooking shows). Kids are increasingly part
of the family meal process, and our brands can
play an important role here.
Whether consumers are looking to manage a
health condition or adopt a healthier lifestyle,
our brands can play a role with ideas that meet
their needs—from paleo and grain-free to
plant-based or allergy-friendly.
Fun food ideas capture our attention and
imagination. There’s a huge opportunity to be
more playful & creative, driving inspiration by
connecting our brands to relevant food/pop
culture trends like food art and PR-worthy hybrid
desserts.
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F15 Key Content Focus Areas
3. Veggie
Curious
Flexitarian Vegetarian
Vegan
Before 6
VB6
Vegan Raw Vegan
Various Motivations
• Rising food prices
• Overall health
• Athletic performance
• Food allergies
• Environment / sustainability
• Animal rights
• Religion
Vegetarianism is not new,
but it has EVOLVED.
4. Vegetarian Evolution
• Flexitarians are growing – 30-40% of U.S. population
(Hartman Group)
• 1/3 of all vegetarians are now vegan – for many a gradual
shift
• “Celebrating the Vegetable” - Shifts in attitude towards
meat being the center of the plate – more awareness
around alternate sources of protein
• Stereotype of vegetarian and vegan meals being “boring”
or lacking flavor has changed, thanks to better restaurant
choices, packaged foods, recipes and food content
• Celebrities and food culture influencers have made
vegetarian and vegan fare more mainstream
7. • Well-established, New York Times food writer,
cookbook author
• VB6 - Follow a vegan diet before 6 pm, then eat
what you want in moderation (Flexitarian)
– Best selling Diet Plan, New Cookbook
– Mindful eating
“To everyone who makes the daily decisions, large and
small, that are changing the way we eat.”
RECIPE: Orange Soup with Apple Salsa
Spiced winter squash soup topped with fresh apple
and black bean salsa for a flavor and protein boost
Mark Bittman
8. Giada De Laurentiis
• Celebrity Chef & Food Network Star – Everyday
Italian & Giada at Home and recurring guest on
NBC’s Today Show
• Most recent cookbook Giada’s Feel Good Food -
collection of healthy eating strategies and recipes
including vegetarian and vegan recipes
• Adopts a mindful, balanced way of cooking, eating
and living that works for her and her family
“Eat a little of everything, but not a lot of anything.”
RECIPE: Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Truffles made with cashew cream, vegan chocolate,
agave nectar, vanilla and fresh orange zest
9. • Bestselling author of Veganomicon: The
Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, Vegan with a
Vengeance and Isa Does It
• Fresh, modern, bold approach to vegan
cooking
• Incorporates global flavors
"It's all about being accessible, with recipes anyone can
do.” “Perhaps the most important thing to get right with
home cooking is to make it satisfying.”
RECIPE: Coconut Chana Saag
Hearty global inspired dish full of flavor, made with
chickpeas, tomatoes and kale
Isa Chandra Moskowitz
10. • Popular vegan cookbook author and blogger – Oh She Glows
• Writes about her positive journey to health and food
transformation – feels great, higher energy levels with whole
foods, plant based, vegan diet
“Feeling good starts with what we eat.”
RECIPE: Two-Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies
Protein-packed, raw brownies made from hemp hearts,
cacao nibs, walnuts, Medjool dates, cocoa powder
Angela Liddon
11. Plant-Based Food Technology
Start-up Companies
What: Meat made from 100% plant
protein
From: Beyond Meat
How it’s positioned:
• Plant-based protein replacement
for animal protein
– Pea protein isolate
• Plays in the meat category
• 25/20 Vision – 25% reduced
global meat consumption by 2020
What: Just Mayo (Egg-free vegetable
oil spread)
From: Hampton Creek Foods
How it’s positioned:
• “Vegan-friendly” – products that
are egg-free
• Creating tasty, affordable
alternatives to animal-based
foods and bringing healthy and
affordable food to everyone,
everywhere.
12. Opportunities for General Mills
• Target flexitarian lifestyles, vegetarian diets with food content
and recipes
• Create and make accessible convenient, high protein, full flavor
recipes and food content
• Promote Meatless Mondays and other food-forward trends
• Leverage on-trend labeling and packaging for eligible products
• Learn from successes of small food start-up companies
Welcome to Taste of Trends, I’m Tenley Kanwischer, a food editor in the kitchens. I’ve been with GMI 15 years, most recently in kitchens since November.
Even though I am not a vegetarian/vegan, I am intrigued by vegetables, etc. I make it my personal mission to get friends/family to try new veggies, etc. Brother-in-law and friends example.
This topic touches on 3 of our key content focus areas for F15.
Not new, but evolved.
Wide spectrum of vegetarian eating – dipping toes in (veggie curious); consciously eating meat-free once/day or a few times a week; just veggies; vegan before a certain time of day, then meat; vegan (no meats, no dairy, no honey), raw vegan
Tends to be more and more interest in vegetarian and vegan diets whether or not it’s all the time.
Lots of motivations - - overall health tend to be flexible while someone concerned with animal rights is not flexible with eating style
Let’s continue to look at the veggie evolution…
Flexitarians are growing and will continue to grow – (rising cost of beef, pork; health)
Vegetarians evolving into vegans – gradual shift, changing eating habits
Celebrating the vegetable and bringing it to the center of the plate. Recognizing there are alternate sources of protein and very flavorful options. Vegetables really can be the main attraction.
Thanks to restaurants, packaged food and food content, fresh farmer’s markets / CSA memberships – old stereotype of boring, lackluster meals has changed.
Vegetarianism has become more mainstream due to celebrities and influencers in food culture… Let’s take a look at some of them.
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These are just a snapshot of popular cookbooks and best sellers… There’s definitely a lot going on with many varying points of view.
Celebrity vegans
Mainstream cooks who have integrated vegan, veggie recipes (Giada)
“Pioneers of vegetarian”
Bloggers and cookbook authors
Diet books
Now, we’ll explore a few of these cookbooks a little further and try a recipe from each…
Written many cookbooks – How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, etc.
Flexitarian lifestyle – motivated by personal health reasons
Being thoughtful about eating habits, eating more veggies during the day, modest portions of dairy/meat saved for the evening meal.
Spices – cumin, chili powder and spicy fresh salsa
Not vegetarian – very mainstream chef who features many vegetarian, vegan recipes in her new cookbook
This recipe is interesting, as it uses cashew cream which replaces the dairy. Cashews are soaked in water for a few hours and blended into a cream – commonly used in vegan cooking
Well-known and respected strict vegan, best-selling author of many cookbooks, her most recent Isa Does It.
Sweetened with dates, crunch with cacao nibs and walnuts, Not unlike a Larabar!
Not only do we have people influencing this trend, but food companies as well. Now we’ll take a look at a couple of them.
We decided to feature these two interesting, innovative food companies, getting lots of recent press. – funded by Bill Gates, mentioned by Andrew Zimmern as companies to watch.
Hampton Creek produces egg-free food alternatives for products like mayonnaise and cookie dough.
Beyond Meat’s goal is to reinvent meat, by offering plant-based protein product which also plays in the meat category.
Likely to see more start-up companies featuring breakthrough food innovations.
So, what does this mean for General Mills? Lots of food content opportunities for all brands, not just Green Giant. Thinking broadly about how each brand can play in this space.
Consumers want protein and are looking for alternate sources of protein. Many are also looking to reduce their meat and dairy consumption. Cooking and preparation techniques and seasonings make a huge difference in the appeal of the vegetable.
Leveraging the “vegetarian” and “vegan” labeling when appropriate.
What makes these food start-ups so successful and how can General Mills take part?