ROCKVILLE, MD. - Marketers of plant-based meat products should focus on convenience such as prepared meals when marketing to consumers, Packaged Facts found in its latest report, Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based & Cultured Cell-Based Types.  

"A top reason that consumers cite for buying any type of prepared meals is time savings,” said Jennifer Mapes-Christ, food and beverage publisher for Packaged Facts. “Incorporating plant-based meat into prepared foods is the ultimate convenience since consumers can have a complete meal at home or at a workplace with little effort.”  

Some small companies that make plant-based meat are focusing on prepared meals in addition to plant-based protein alternatives for consumers making their own meals. For example, startup Alpha Foods has a lineup of more than 20 varieties of prepared foods incorporating its plant-based chicken, sausage, and beef, including burritos, handheld pot pies, tamales, and pizza. 

Big food companies and their brands are also moving into the prepared meal space. The Conagra-owned Gardein brand of plant-based meat products offers a number of frozen prepared foods incorporating plant-based meat to appeal to busy consumers, such as skillet meals that are frozen and ready to be cooked on the stove, sliders that come with a bun and are ready to be microwaved, and microwavable fajita bowls.