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For example, data collected from orders across the country during the pandemic has shown a significant increase in demand for Canadian meals and ready meals, while plant-based products have lost popularity.
With the pandemic helping to keep many other people stuck at home, meal kit providers like HelloFresh have the number one source of new food for families across Canada. As the world’s leading supplier of meal kits, HelloFresh has catalogued an extensive database on Canadians’ dining behaviour and how they have been replaced throughout the pandemic.
Demand for American cuisine has dropped by 41% since the start of the pandemic. While this is a big drop off from its pre-pandemic status atop Canada’s food hierarchy, American dishes are still largely popular across the Great White North. Currently, American dishes are the second-most ordered cuisine in the country, with Italian cuisine holding third place.
Another attractive progression brought on by the pandemic is that Canadians are increasingly preferring ready meals. Order tracking data showed sharp increases in orders for ready meals and carbohydrate-rich dishes during the colder months and during COVID-19 outbreaks.
Data from early 2020 (the first lockdown) shows that orders for prepared foods such as garlic bread increased. While orders plummeted in the warmer months (when life shortly returned to normal), orders for garlic bread rose again later in the year when the second wave of COVID hit. 19. It turns out that when it’s cold, Canadians turn to the warm crust and savory flavor of garlic bread.
Other notable changes have been a sharp rise in the popularity of carbohydrate-rich foods, especially those made with basmati rice or yellow potatoes, as those foods are among the most popular across the country. The demand for meat-based foods has increased. It’s also increased during the pandemic, with the three most sensible dishes in Canada containing chicken, beef, or pork.
While orders for carbs and meat grew significantly, as the pandemic dragged on, Canadians ordered a lot less vegetarian food compared to their pre-pandemic levels. In January 2020, vegetarian orders made up over 20% of all meals ordered in Canada, but in January 2021, they slipped to 15% and then to only 7.88% in March 2021. They continue to decline as the pandemic drags on.
The knowledge suggests that Canadians are neglecting their vegetables in favor of meat and carbohydrate-rich foods.
This pandemic-induced shift is completely unexpected, as it reflects a decade-long trend of preference for vegetarian and vegan dishes in Canada. Considered by some to be healthier, more ethical, and with a lower environmental impact, plant-based foods are no longer a fad and have since become widespread. However, this decade-long trend has been interrupted. Since the start of the pandemic, Canadians have been gradually weaning off plant-based foods.
With a growing appetite for meat and a diminishing one for vegetarian dishes over the course of the pandemic, the big question this trend brings to mind is; are these new preferences for meat over vegetarian foods permanent, or just a temporary trend?
The only way to know for sure is to see how the data evolves over time, especially how it changes once the pandemic is finally over. With a new wave of COVID-19 further prolonging the pandemic, it turns out that for the foreseeable future, Canada’s new dining habits are here to stay.
© 2023 North Coast News