More than half of Australians (52%) are making an effort to reduce their consumption of meat and joining the 1.2 million Australians already vegetarian or vegan, according to new research from Mt Elephant.
The most common motivation for Australians to reduce their meat consumption is for health reasons, with three in four (74%) Australians trying to eat less meat because they believe it is better for their health.
The research, conducted by YouGov, found almost half (48 percent) of Australians say they try to eat less meat for environmental reasons (i.e., it is better for the planet) and more than a third (38 percent) of Australians suggest that they are making an effort to eat less meat in order to protect animals. Those more likely to be eating less meat include those with children at home (57 percent), those working (55 percent) and those living in one of the five major capital cities (54 percent).
Difficulty finding non-meat-based protein
Of those trying to eat less meat, half (49 percent) say they find it difficult to find non-meat-based foods that are high in protein. This seems to be a particular challenge for parents. Although Australians with children under 18 at home are more likely to be making an effort to eat less meat, they are also more likely to find it very difficult to find non-meat-based foods that are high in protein than Australians without children at home (28 percent compared to 12 percent).
Neale Joseph, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Australian Primary Hemp, parent brand of Mt Elephant, says: “It’s clear Australians, and in particular parents, are trying to improve their health and lifestyle by reducing their consumption of meat and turning to plant-based substitutes as an alternative. However, kids are notoriously fussy so finding quick and tasty substitutes will make it much easier for parents to make the switch.
“Mt Elephant’s nutrition-packed range of baking mixes, bars and mylks is designed to bring all the benefits of hemp protein in a way that is easy for Australians to introduce to their diet.”
Hemp as a solution
Australians remain unaware of the benefits of hemp as a superfood. When asked to consider hemp as a plant-based alternative source of protein, Australians are most likely to say that they have heard of hemp but don’t know anything about it (36%), while a further 7% said they had never heard of hemp. Of those who claim to have some knowledge of hemp, 26 percent wrongly believe it is the same as cannabis, 20 percent think it is the same as CBD (cannabinoids) and 17 percent that it is illegal.
Alongside superfoods such as buckwheat flour, maca and lucuma, one of the founding ingredients of Mt. Elephant’s new range of plant-based bars, baking mixes and mylks is Australian-grown and sown hemp. This rare seed is one of a few plants based sources to contain:
· The ideal 1:3 ratio of omega.
· The powerful essential fatty acid, GLA (gamma linolenic acid).
· Amino acids, including those not produced by the body.
· An abundance of plant protein and fibre.
· A range of necessary vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamins B1 and B3.
“Plant-based alternatives, and products that make living healthily and sustainably more convenient for the whole family, are set to skyrocket. It’s clear that hemp has can play a huge role in providing a protein-rich substitute for Australians. Mt Elephant is all about deliciously nutritious ingredients, made easy, and
enabling people to make the switch to more naturally nourishing food”shares Joseph.
Vegan-friendly, GMO-free, and free from gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar or nasty additives like high-fructose corn syrup, the entire Mt. Elephant range has been specially formulated so that being healthy will never feel like a compromise and Australian families are ready to elevate the everyday.
Mt Elephant’s range includes bread, pancake and protein ball mixes, ready-to-eat bars, and hemp and oat mylk. You can find Mt Elephant products will be available Woolworths and Coles (from July) nationwide.