From cauliflower pizza and
rice paper rolls to vegan sausage rolls, new data shows
Kiwis are ordering healthy takeaways in growing
numbers.
Data from online food delivery platform
Menulog shows a 30% increase in orders of vegan dishes in
2022 compared to last year. Orders for vegetarian dishes
were up 21% for the same period.
The rise in vegan and
vegetarian food delivery options highlights people’s
changing dietary habits as well as the demand for greater
choice, which includes everything from vegan hemp burgers
and falafel pitas to vegan nachos and
burritos.
Anthony Manual, Director of El Mexicano
Zapata in Rotorua, says sales of the restaurant’s vegan
dishes have doubled this year.
“It’s quite
extraordinary. My vegan items are almost our best sellers
making up nearly 40% of our weekly sales,” he
says.
“Mexican food is typically all about meat, but
by being a bit healthier and losing none of the flavour, the
popularity of our vegan dishes has skyrocketed.”
El
Mexicano Zapata’s Vegan Nachos and Vegan Burrito are in
the top five vegan dishes on the Menulog
platform.
“If I look at the customers buying these
items, it isn’t just vegans, it’s people who normally
order meat but they get hooked on the vegan dishes. People
are starting to understand you don’t need meat to be
satisfied – vegetables are just as good, if not
better.”
It isn’t just vegan options on the rise
with vegetarian samosas and spring rolls the most ordered
vegetarian items.
Intentionally, the Menulog data did
not take into account french fries, arguably the most
popular vegan option! Almost two fifths (38%) of meals
ordered on Menulog featured french fries. Cantabrians and
Dunedinites can’t get enough of them with nearly 50% of
all orders in Christchurch and Dunedin choosing
fries.
Chiray Shah, Owner of Status Vegan Cafe in
Auckland says his sales have skyrocketed this
year.
“I have owned this restaurant for over three
years and in 2022 business has never been better. Kiwis are
embracing the vegan lifestyle and making the switch from the
typical meaty diets, it’s quite remarkable to
see.”
Menulog Commercial Director ANZ, Rory Murphy,
says demand for healthier takeaway options have been growing
for a number of years.
“The latest data reflects how
eating habits are changing and our restaurant partners are
providing greater choice to meet their customer’s
needs.
“Kiwis lead busy lifestyles and they are also
increasingly more conscious of eating healthy food. We
expect vegetable and vegan takeaway options to continue to
grow in popularity and rival traditional meat
dishes.”