Consumers choice to follow a vegan and/or gluten free diet has definitely increased in recent years with statistics indicating that these niches peak yearly in January and February each year as consumers pledge to make healthier, more ethical decisions for the year ahead, with the most popular search terms online in this niche being “Snacks and Desserts”.  So vegan and gluten free foods are becoming not just a dietary choice, but a philosophy feeding into consumers’ identity.

Statistics on the number of people who consume a vegan diet in Australia is very sporadic but based on early data from the National Nutrition Survey and other studies, it is estimated that about 2% of Australians are vegan and 4 to 5% vegetarian. And according to market researcher Euromonitor International, Australia is the third-fastest growing vegan market in the world.  Furthermore, those who are restricting certain animal-based products but not following a strict vegan/vegetarian diet account for nearly 50% of consumers globally, with about 32% of Australians reducing their meat consumption in the past 12 months.  An analysis by Vegan Australia has also shown that the number of vegan products listed by Woolworths supermarket has increased at a rate of 55% per year.  

There is also an increasing number of consumers who are either reducing or eliminating gluten from their diets. Of those who are avoiding gluten, about one-third are doing so because they have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that results in damage to the small intestine when gluten is ingested. According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, about 0.5% of Australian adults have celiac disease, affecting around 1 in 70 Australian, but it is estimated that 80% remain undiagnosed.  The remaining two-thirds of consumers following a gluten-free diet do so for other reasons, such as wanting to improve their overall health or because they believe it will help with weight loss. 

So both veganism and a gluten-free diet are becoming increasingly popular as consumers seek more ways to improve their overall health and wellbeing and are poised for continued growth in the coming years.  Given this and the increase in health-conscious consumers looking for guilt-free snack foods, Laura’s Protein Balls and Granola are the perfect choice.  Our Protein Balls are vegan, gluten and lactose free offering a guilt-free, on-the-go treat, rather than a sugar-laden cookie or muffin.  Our granola is also vegan and because we make to order, we can also produce the granola in a gluten free option using rice flakes!  Both products come in a range of delicious flavours, in fact we have 20 Protein Ball flavours and 6 Granola options so you’ll never get bored of healthy snacking.   What more could you ask for!