The Snack Revolution: How the humble Cauliflower is Transforming Our Eating Habits
In recent years, the snack food industry has exploded as more people choose to snack between meals rather than sticking to the traditional three main meals a day. Busy lifestyles, demanding jobs, and poor time management have driven people to opt for convenience foods and snacks over balanced, nutritious meals.
Unfortunately, this trend has led to a significant decrease in the consumption of nutritious foods like vegetables. Instead, a large portion of the Australian population is now getting their energy intake from highly processed foods. The combination of being time-poor, the misconception that vegetables are boring, and a lack of culinary skills has severely impacted vegetable consumption.
Snacking has become an integral part of our culture. For many years, the snack food industry has been dominated by highly processed foods from major players, with limited inclusion of whole foods and vegetables. However, there has been a recent shift in the market towards healthier snack options. Companies are responding to the growing demand by creating products with more whole grains and fortified with vitamins and minerals. While this is a step in the right direction, it still doesn't address the issue of inadequate vegetable consumption.
Currently, the main vegetables used in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sector are potatoes, corn, and tomatoes, often in the form of chips and ketchup. Although these are healthy vegetables, many are now mass-produced, genetically modified, and heavily processed to meet commercial demands. With so many other vegetables available and often going to waste, it's only fair that they also share the shelf space.
Whole vegetable snacking is always best, but revolutionizing snacking by incorporating vegetables as functional ingredients can help resolve vegetable wastage, increase vegetable consumption, and provide numerous health benefits. One vegetable that stands out for its versatility in baked goods and snacks is the humble cauliflower.
For years, cauliflower was often relegated to being baked with cheese or steamed, but now it’s being rediscovered and celebrated. The humble cauliflower has made its way onto restaurant menus as steaks, wings, and pizza bases. This vegetable is exceptionally rich in vitamins and minerals, earning a spot in the world’s top 10 superfoods. It’s similar to a potato in terms of subtle taste and versatility but offers three times the nutrients and half the calories, making it an excellent option for glucose control and inflammation—major issues in today's society.
With this knowledge, it became clear that cauliflower could be a fantastic vegetable to use as a functional ingredient in the snack food market. After years of recipe development and trial and error, we have created a cauliflower recipe base for all our baked goods. All our products contain at least 40% fresh cauliflower per pack, providing a source of essential nutrients such as fibre, polyphenols, glucosinolates, carotenoids, and vitamin C.
Aside from the many health benefits of using cauliflower in our foods, the most important aspect for us is that the products taste amazing—so much so that you wouldn’t even know there’s cauliflower hidden in them!
Join the snack revolution and discover the hidden potential of cauliflower in our delicious, nutritious snack offerings. Your body and your taste buds will thank you.