Vegan products for toddlers from the age of 1 are very much in demand right now, but for producers they are also a particular challenge. Youngsters below the age of three are developing fast and need a lot of nutrients, far more than adults in relation to their body weight. That’s why food for infants and toddlers is subject to strict legal requirements. The tricky thing with plant-based recipes is that they are made without the familiar protein sources such as dairy products, meat and fish, but still need to have the legally required amount of protein. “Alete bewusst” has created three meals, “Potato chickpea stew with coconut milk”, “Spaghetti with lentil Bolognese” and “Colorful vegetable rice with chickpeas”, which are all packed with pulses. Combined with potatoes, wholemeal pasta or whole-meal rice, they provide young kids with all-important protein. The label on the jars also suggests providing youngsters with some vitamin C-rich juice or fruit as a dessert after the meal to help them absorb the iron better.

The meals come as people increasingly opt for plantbased diets. Some 12 % of people in Germany no longer eat meat, according to a representative Forsa survey* in 2023. Some 3 % are vegan. More and more Germans these days describe themselves as flexitarians, deciding to eat less animal-based food. People are changing their eating habits mainly out of concern for the environment, sustainability, and animal welfare, they say. No wonder demand for vegan products is growing steadily in all age groups.

* Source: www.bzfe.de

The three new meals by Alete bewusst

“Alete bewusst” is focusing on this nutritional trend with its new range of vegan meals, ensuring that the product range has a balanced mix of plant-based and animal-based ingredients. After all, people who prefer plant-based diets are not categorically excluding animal-based foods. They are just trying to make sure that their diet focuses primarily on food from plants, in line with recommendations by the German Society for Nutrition. When the new meals are launched onto the market, they will be accompanied by a broad-based advertising campaign. There is a special website for the new meals and shoppers can find a video there too, showing how to prepare the meals and providing further engaging background information. The website also features advice from the “Alete bewusst” family service nutritionists, who share helpful information about plant-based nutrition for young children. In further awareness-raising measures, shoppers can read about the products in an advertorial in the Hallo Parents digital magazine. All that comes in addition to a major digital campaign that has been running on all “Alete bewusst” social media channels since last year, with a nutrition quiz, a survey, competitions, information about plantbased nutrition and influencer tasting boxes. It’s well worth taking time for a taster.

The new vegan “Alete bewusst” meals were tested by 500 selected target persons on the “ohofttheday.com” online product testing platform, with significant success. Some 98 % of the testers said they would recommend the products to others. They gave top ratings for the plant-based recipes, the flavor and the packaging. The testers’ favorite variety was Spaghetti with lentil Bolognese. And 91% of those polled said they would replace their favorite plantbased product with Alete bewusst plant-based meals.