What foods do vegans miss the most? New data sheds light on what foods people were craving the most last year
With Veganuary well underway, thousands of Brits are searching for alternatives to the foods they know and love.
Over recent years, plant-based products have propelled into the mainstream – meaning you can find a vegan alternative to pretty much everything. Cruelty-free foie gras? Of course. A meat-free steak high in protein? We’ve got you.
So, what do vegans crave the most after they ditch animal products? New data from The Goodness Project reveals the top 10 foods vegans miss the most by analysing Google searches for plant-based alternatives over the past year.
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It garnered some surprising results, noting that vegan haggis and vegan mayonnaise both pulled in an average of 4,400 monthly searches. Vegan gravy (3,600) also saw monthly searches peak in January.
Other ‘honourable mentions’ that didn’t make the top 10 list include vegan fish and chips (2,400) and vegan halloumi (1,600).
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With cheese being one of the ingredients people find most difficult to give up, it's no surprise that many people are seeking out plant-based alternatives to beat their cravings. Photo © yokeetod via Getty Images
Top 10 foods vegans miss
According to the data, vegans typically crave classic comfort foods such as:
- Chocolate (18,100)
- Banana bread (12,100)
- Cheese (12,100)
- Burger (8,100)
- Curry (8,100)
- Butter (6,600)
- Cupcakes (6,600)
- Ice Cream (6,600)
- Cookies (5,400)
- Marshmallows (5,400)
Keen to find out more, VFL posed the question to our followers on social media recently, asking ‘Do you miss anything since going vegan?’
Predictably, cheese was amongst the top answers of items people miss. Many commenters have stated that ‘vegan cheese can’t compare’, and that they haven’t found a good replacement since making the switch.
Chocolates were mentioned quite frequently, with commenters saying that the nostalgic chocolates haven’t made the plant-based switch that quite measures up to the memories.
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Dairy-based products like chocolate, cheese, butter, and ice cream are some of the products vegans miss the most. Photo ©eternalcreative via Getty Images
Vegan chocolate
In a statement sent toVegan Food & Living, The Goodness Project said: “Chocolate lovers rejoice! There are now plenty of vegan chocolate options available for those who want to indulge without consuming dairy products.
“From dark chocolate bars to creamy milk-style chocolates, there’s something for every sweet tooth. If you prefer a sweet over chocolate there’s no need to worry as there are tonnes of brands that are providing vegan options.”
It added that those searching for vegan chocolate do so the most in January. Last year, there were a whopping 49,000 searches for vegan chocolate in January – more than double the average month.
Similarly, searches for vegan cheese peaked in January (18,000) and February (14,000). 2023 was a monumental period of vegan cheese following a slew of releases from brands such as The Laughing Cow and Cathedral City.
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Featured photo © Julia_Sudnitskaya and tommaso79 via Getty Images, composition by VFL
