Applegate Well Carved is a new line of burger patties and meatballs that combine meat with whole, organic vegetables, legumes and grains. According to the company, the products specifically appeal to consumers who are “mindful of their meat intake and its nutritional, ethical and environmental impact."
One of the hybrid meat products is a grass-fed organic beef burger that's packed with cauliflower, spinach, lentils and butternut squash, and the Asian-style pork meatballs offer a nourishing way to enhance spaghetti meals with a boost from brown rice, green onion, carrot and parsley.
A variety of vegetable-packed meat products are being created for flexitarian consumers who like meat but are open to eating less of it, and would prefer these options over fully plant-based alternatives.
Image Credit: Hormel Foods Corp.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Flexitarian Food
- Creating meat products that combine meat with whole, organic vegetables, legumes, and grains to appeal to flexitarian consumers.
- Hybrid Meat Products
- Developing innovative meat products that pack meatballs and patties with veggies, grains, and legumes for added nutrition and flavor.
- Mindful Meat Consumption
- Catering to consumers who are conscious of their meat intake and its impact by offering meat products that are ethically and environmentally friendly.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Food Manufacturing
- Exploring the potential for creating and marketing meat products that cater to the flexitarian market by incorporating vegetables, legumes, and grains.
- Plant-based Alternatives
- Collaborating with meat producers to develop vegetable-packed meat products as an alternative to fully plant-based options, appealing to flexitarian consumers.
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Partnering with farmers to source organic, grass-fed meat for hybrid meat products that promote mindful meat consumption and address environmental concerns.
