Getting creative with meat-free meals

29-Mar-2011 - Last updated on 30-Mar-2011 at 14:47 GMT

Good flavor, interesting texture, and proper cooking techniques are needed to make successful meat-free entrées on a large scale, according to a presentation at the recent Research Chefs Association conference in Atlanta.

Founder of KOR Food Innovation John Csukor told an audience of research chefs that gone are the days of vegetarian lasagnas made by simply omitting the meat in the original recipe. Consumers are looking for full flavors and interesting textures in vegetarian options, and also want to feel that they have eaten well.

“You really want that multitude of textures coming at you from that toothiness, that bite,” he said. “We also need satiety, and texture goes along with that… Flavor is king; second is texture.”

Csukor explained that creativity with texture could involve using protein-rich grains, legumes and nuts, so consumers also get very nutritious products.

“Grains and nuts are a really fabulous way to get the proteins and balance in the diet without going to meat protein,” he said.

As for flavor, Csukor said that food manufacturers should consider paying a little more for roasted peppers for a pasta sauce, for example.

“Flavor comes in many forms. Instead of adding salt, flavor’s going to come from the proper cooking techniques, going for roasting, toasting, smoking,” he said.

Eric Giandelone, director of research at Mintel Foodservice, added that although only about three percent of the US population is vegetarian, there is increased interest in seeking out meat-free options in general. And for those companies looking to expand into emerging markets, he pointed out that about 31 percent of the Indian population is vegetarian, while the Chinese prime minister recently proposed one meat-free day per week.

In the United States, about a third of Americans consider vegetarian options to be healthier than meat options, and as health becomes a more important driver of food purchases, vegetarian foods are likely to become more in demand, he said.

“Consumers are making healthier purchases in supermarkets than they were a year ago,” Giandelone said. “It’s not that healthy doesn’t sell, but that bland doesn’t sell. Consumers are seeing better and nuanced products in retail. They have seen the ubiquitous veggie burger, and they have seen new textures and the ethnic influence.”

He said that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are also set to influence protein choices, with their recommendation to avoid processed and fatty meats.

“They encourage Americans to think about other protein options,” he said. “…Substituting things like beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, for some of those animal proteins is going to require knowledge of those new flavors and textures but there is also an opportunity to go beyond those old tired soup and salad options.”