The Vegan Diet Is Slowly But Surely Going Mainstream In The U.S.

Slowly but steadily, the vegan diet that bars consumption of any animal-derived foods or ingredients is catching on in the U.S., thanks to ready availability of vegan foodstuffs like tempeh and tofu, a wider array of recipes, and other factors. Recent survey results peg the total vegan market at about one percent of U.S. consumers – or about a third of self-professed vegetarians. Besides food and recipe availability, the increase in the vegan population can also be tied to an increasingly health-conscious and environmentally aware American population, and to concerns among shoppers about where their meat really comes from. Also, celebrities like Bill Clinton and Mike Tyson have touted their vegan diets. And many chefs say vegan entrees are one of the hottest restaurant menu trends of 2011.