Veganism is on the up, a list of food trend items on the rise in South Africa
JOBURG – As more people become conscious of what they eat, plant-based foods will continue to rise in popularity.
A prediction by Ubers Eat SA is that 2019 will be the year that veganism goes mainstream across Africa and the Middle East including South Africa.
There is a growing movement of people and those in the public eye who are becoming vegan. Edible flowers, meat substitutes such as tofu, setian and heme are grudgingly not seen in a bad light anymore.
Thanks to the help of celebrities such as Beyonce and Jay-Z challenging their fans to ‘go vegan’ and get lifetime tickets to their concerts if they take the pledge for a month, there is a growing urge for people to follow a plant-based lifestyle that has a less environmental footprint.
More restaurants have adapted their menus to include vegan and gluten-free options, so don’t be surprised to see setian or heme in your next food outing soon.
As people become more conscious of what they eat and how it is made, plant-based foods are predicted to continue to rise in popularity.
Surprisingly, Uber Eats SA found that garlic in 2018 was the most popular food item, followed by ginger, coconut and honey.
South Africa’s top 20 most popular food items:
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Coconut
- Tofu
- Honey
- Hummus
- Sriracha
- Quinoa
- Tahini
- Vegan
- Seaweed
- Miso
- Pumpkin
- Kimchi
- Chia
- Haloumi
- Gluten-free
- Dates
- Truffle
- Pho.
Jeanette Mellinger, head of Uber Eats user research said, “As our search data shows, food preferences are constantly evolving and the latest is a rise in socially-conscious diners. In line with this, we expect to see veganism become increasingly mainstream, rising from just a few per cent in each country to a lifestyle choice for millions of individuals. ”
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