Valerie Varnuska, of Westbury, NY, has interests in a number of areas including health and fitness. The Westbury, NY resident enjoys walking and cooking (experimenting with new recipes). For Valerie Varnuska, advances in food technology make it possible for her and other novice cooks to experiment with diverse ingredients, for example, plant-based foods. Increasingly, plant-based foods are becoming alternatives to traditional fare.
First, plant-based milk, cheese, and other dairy product substitutes grew in popularity, and in the last few decades, food manufacturers have created plant-based meat-like products such as breakfast sausages and burgers, which are also in demand. In the United States alone, the plant-based food industry saw an 11.3 percent increase in sales last year, and over the last two years, these sales rose 31.1 percent. Moreover, this increase in sales is an indication that plant-based foods are not just favored by a small group of vegan enthusiasts. Instead, this increase indicates that attitudes about meat consumption versus plant-based diets are shifting, and this is happening with good reason.
Consumers benefit in many ways from adopting a plant-based diet. The ethics of eating a plant-based diet have long been a central reason for vegans avoiding foods made with animal products. However, there are many health benefits to eating plant-based meals. As a result of receiving more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants through vegetables, consumers benefit from a diet rich in nutrients, and this also can aid in weight loss. More importantly, the health benefits of a plant-based diet include an improved cardiovascular system and a reduced risk of diabetes.
Valerie Varnuska 