Jakarta, IO – Interesting lifestyle trends continue to evolve, and among these is plant-based menus. The Google Trend website reports that there has been an increase in the number of searches related to healthy food in Indonesia since March, peaking in December 2020. Data points to a new awareness among the public, especially those who live in urban areas, to return to nature and once again actively consume healthy plant-based foods.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, it is estimated that around 4 billion people in the world live on a plant-based diet because of choices or limitations caused by a lack of plants, freshwater, and energy resources. In Europe, consumption of plant-based meat substitutes currently accounts for 40% of the world market (according to 2019 data), a figure expected to grow 60% by 2025, mainly due to concerns over health, food security, and animal welfare.
The COVID-19 pandemic has indirectly encouraged people to consume more healthy food and reprocess it naturally. This trend has also been adopted by a number of eateries, restaurants, and cafes in Indonesia. Currently, several menus in fast food restaurants have adopted plant-based menus. In addition to well-known fast-food restaurants, there are local restaurants starting from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as Burgreens or Dharma Kitchen, which have developed plant-based menus.
Recently, IKEA in Tangerang, Bogor, and Bandung launched a series of menus that are processed using the plant-based method, as an alternative food offering for patrons. “This is one of our visions to support a healthy lifestyle for the people of Indonesia. The plant-based menu is offered with a view of a sustainable healthy lifestyle. At IKEA, plant-based food options are available in all ranges from main meals, snacks, desserts, to kids’ meals,” said Dita Astari Putri, Food Commercial Manager for IKEA Indonesia.
Menus such as chicken satay, beef meatballs, sausage burgers, to matcha ice cream made from pure plant-based ingredients are among IKEA Indonesia’s solutions for bringing quality healthy food to the community. In a live IG, Dion Haryadi, a Certified Sports Nutritionist from Batam, Kepulauan Riau, revealed that there is currently a concern in the wider community regarding health issues, when regularly consuming meat. “Globally there is a kind of awareness that eating a lot of meat can pose a risk of various dangerous health conditions, ranging from high cholesterol to diabetes,” said Dion.