Veganism has taken the food world by storm. Especially in this region what initially started off as a diet choice has today become a common lifestyle adoption. Major portion of the population, previously opted of vegan or vegetarian options either to lose weight or stay fit but the reasons are a lot different today. Research show that there have been a number of people who have made a switch to veganism in the last 5 years. Today, adopters of veganism do it for one or both these reasons, lifestyle & health choice, compassionate living and environmental protection.
Veganism means cutting out meat, dairy and all other animal by products to eat a wholly plant based diet. The awareness of Veganism has grown in the past few years, to the surprise of many today there are a number of food options and outlets which serve pure vegan food. In fact many of the existing food outlets have now added vegan options to their menu too.
Health is one of the major reason for the rise in veganism. The increasing number of food borne diseases transmitted through meat and poultry products and the health hazard like skin problems, heart issues, stomach ailments caused due to the consumption of meat, have become a growing concern. Studies have proven that vegans have lower cholesterol, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and weight issues compared to meat eater. They also have 30% lower risk of heart disease and lower cancer rates.
Previously people were of the opinion that meat was the only source to suffice for the body’s protein requirement. But the introduction of vegan substitutes like Quinoa, which are a great source of protein, have now gone on to substituting products such as meat, wheat etc. Those prone to nut allergies have now shifted to seeds like Flax seed, Chia seeds etc. which are equally strong nutrients and have greater health benefits. People have now begun to realize how important it is to move towards plant based food and adopting a whole some food diet which includes a wide range of fruits, vegetables, grains, and seed to promote a long healthy life and protection against diseases.
Environmental Protection is another major reason for people turning to veganism. The green movement is on in full swing, with a number of people trying to save the environment in their own way. Many of these environmentalist shift to veganism particularly because animal farming is known to be a major contributor in climate change and the deterioration of the ozone which in turn leads to climate changes. People in this region are becoming more aware of the ill effects for the climatic change and this concern has led them to adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle by turning to veganism or vegetarianism. Moreover crops like Quinoa play a major role as an alternative staple crop, due to its adaptability to harsh environment. Unlike others, growing Quinoa does not require a lot of water for production.
When we decided to launch the India Gate Healthy food range in this region, around mid-2017, we first introduced the India Gate Quinoa, following the rave responses we received for the product we then launched India Gate Chia Seeds, India Gate Flax Seeds and India Gate Brown Rice. Today, Dubai has endless opportunities and restaurants which cater to the vegan and vegetarian community. Utility stores are filled with healthy food options and the followers are on a rise.
About India Gate and KRBL Group
India Gate, a benchmark in quality food standards, is a KRBL Group flagship brand. As a global food brand, India Gate continues to earn respect and patronage among consumers world over.
Apart from the newly introduced Quinoa, India Gate also specializes in brown rice and is known in the region for its highest selling India Gate Classic Basmati rice.
KRBL’s journey started over 120 years ago as a company that engaged in grain marketing and agro processing. It was later incorporated in 1993 with the objective of processing paddy and with its vast experience and expertise, the miller is now synonymous with basmati rice – favorably positioning Indian basmati on the global food map.
As the world’s largest basmati miller and exporter, KRBL is currently present across all the basmati eating regions such as Asia, Middle East, Europe, USA, Canada, and Africa. KRBL is known for its seed development and farmer engagement program and the trust it has earned by implementing the fastest- scalable lab-to-market Public-Private Partnership project with the synonymous 1121 grain.