It's no mystery that we'll need more sustainable ways of consuming food in the near future. But what if the future is now? As the human population continues to grow, plant-based foods are now explored as one of the best ways to keep a regular protein consumption, but converging with concerns on sustainability and carbon footprints. 

We have discussed in a previous article about food innovations how Finnish corporations are investing in tech plant-based products to reach a growing market: everyone who's willing to stop (or at least decrease) the consumption of animal-based foods. A company that understood the need of thinking about plant-based solutions, is Spices Chef. Their organic vegan bouillon - a French word for broth - is a convenient, delicious, and totally meat-free powder to enhance flavors in any preparation. Usually made using meat, a vegan broth can be enjoyed by everyone. "These powders can give your homemade vegan dishes the flavor of chicken, meat, or fish," says Pramod Jayaprakash, managing director of the company.

The approval and search for more plant-based foods are due to basically two reasons: environmental concerns, and good (and cheaper) vegetarian food products. In K and S Groups, the biggest changes have been noticed in dairy substitutes, non-meat frozen foods (plant-based burgers, steaks, and meatballs), ready to eat products, such as hummus and falafel, and oat-based snacks.

This is also due to the growing debate about climate change, and how meat production has its own responsibilities. The Natural Resources Institute (Luke) declared that annual meat consumption has been decreasing by an average of 1.5 kg per household, and the consumption of fresh vegetables has been increasing. The current recommendation for the intake of red and processed meats should be limited to 500 grams per week. 74% of women follow the guidance, but only 21% of men do the same. Also, age seems to be an important factor. 

"The changes in terms of a critical position towards meat and positive position towards alternative proteins is indeed more prevalent in the younger generations, but it's not a change that only takes place among the young. Also, older people are making changes and becoming more critical towards meat-eating," says Dr. Mari Niva, professor of consumer studies at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Helsinki.

The rising concern about climate change, and the health issues associated with excessive meat consumption, are two of the main reasons for the growth of plant-based diets. But it can't be called a fad or a trend, as Finland has seen before serious and important measures taken for the health improvement of citizens. The North Karelia Project lasted from 1972 to 1997, led by Dr. Pekka Puska. "It was a comprehensive theory-based intervention. Over the 25 years, we did so many things. The main aim was to reduce saturated fat (replacing partly with unsaturated vegetable oil), to reduce salt, and to increase consumption of vegetables, berries, and fruit," says the former director.

But there is more to that. During the 70s, Finnish middle-aged men were dying of heart attacks with the highest known rates in the world. The Finnish Minister of Health at the time recognized the problem and named a young doctor, Pekka Puska, to lead a pilot project in the region. Over more than twenty years, Puska pioneered a strategy that lowered male cardiovascular mortality in a population of 170,000 Finns by 80%, an unparalleled accomplishment.

The plant-based diet adopted in North Karelia Project was inspired by the Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. So, countries in the south of Europe were eating healthier than the Northern ones, that were consuming more animal products, and by effect, having more heart conditions. With that, it was stated that North Karelian men on average were dying 10 years earlier than their counterparts in the south.

So, Dr. Puska gathered with Martat, a local women’s organization to help spread the word about better health practices. They hosted “longevity parties,” where they encouraged women to replace butter with oil, and meat with vegetables, to cut salt, and to stop smoking. They put together a recipe book that added vegetables to traditional North Karelian dishes. Karjalanpaisti, for instance, typically had only three main ingredients - water, fatty pork, and salt- but the new version replaced some of the pork with rutabagas, potatoes, and carrots. 

It was a way to show Karelians that it was possible to eat plant-based meals that tasted good. The Program doesn't exist anymore, but the work to promote public health continues at the North Karelia Public Health Center, which began operations in 2002, focused on projects and activities to encourage positive lifestyle changes. 

Policies like that end up having a great effect on society. The National Resource Institute has reported in 2021 that meat consumption in Finland has fallen for the second year in a row. People are more interested in plant-based choices, with a market share growth of 33 % in a year. "Finns seem to be quite open to new tastes and products and willing to give new foods at least a try. But the new products will then establish a position on their dining tables only if the taste is good, price is right, family members accept them, and if they are easy enough to use, etc. But I'm sure that plant-based proteins as a category are here to stay," concludes Professor Mari Niva. Indeed, those foods have been around for thousands of years, and will not just fade away.

Photo by Thomas Marthinsen on Unsplash