December 21, 2016
Good news for vegetarians or anyone looking to cut back on the amount of meat they eat in 2017 – the dinner plate is experiencing a shuffle.
Meat no longer consumes the biggest part of the plate-pie chart, as vegetable dishes are being reimagined into main options.
According to predictors of such things, namely the New York-based food consulting firm Baum + Whiteman, meatless options offered as main dishes in restaurants are expected to continue their boom in 2017.
Some of this has to do with demand, as people are seeking out more meat-free alternatives for the health and environmental benefits, but it is also because chefs are coming up with new and exciting ways to experiment with vegetables and plant-protein that make them worthy of the main spot on the plate.
In its 2016 food prediction report, Baum + Whiteman gave a shoutout to Philadelphia’s famed vegetarian restaurant Vedge, which has been at the forefront and making waves in the restaurant world by breaking out of the vegetarian niche and appealing to all eaters.
In its 2017 food forecast, vegetables "will extend their domination of the dinner plate."
