One in five Swedish shoppers plans to eat a more vegetarian meal this Christmas, according to a recent survey by retailer Coop Sweden.
Meanwhile, 60% of respondents said they would keep their diet on the same level with respect to vegetarian food, while only 3% said they would eat less vegetarian over the holidays.
The retailer surveyed 1,000 people in its 'Matometern' survey about whether they planned to eat more or less vegetarian during this year’s Christmas season.
Swedish Christmas cuisine is traditionally meat-based, with bacon, ribs and meatballs being common ingredients. However, vegetarian options are on the rise and making Christmas greener, according to Coop.
Widespread Trend
The retailer said the increasing vegetarian trend is appearing all over the country and across all age groups.
For example, in the northern region, Norrland, 31% of respondents said they will eat a little more vegetarian over Christmas. Among millenials, aged 16-25, some 8% believed that they will eat significantly more vegetarian meals over the holidays.
"The vegetarian trend is gaining strength and now with Christmas coming, we are likely to see glazed cauliflower instead of ribs and eggplant instead of herring on the tables,” said Sara Begner, food inspector and head of Coop’s test kitchen.
“At the Christmas table you can try new things and add beautiful fun colours by including more vegetables.”
The Swedish retailer recently introduced a new range of ready-made, peeled and chopped fresh vegetables under its Hackat och Klart (chopped and clear) brand.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
