Spring is good time to go plant-based

Editor, With three crippling Nor’easters battering our East Coast in quick succession, we all look forward to March 20, first day of spring, balmy weather, and flowers in bloom.

It’s also a superb occasion to replace animal foods on our menu with healthy, delicious, eco-friendly vegetables, legumes, grains, and fruits.

The shift toward healthy eating is everywhere. Fast-food chains like Chipotle, Quiznos, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s all offer plant-based options. Major publications and popular websites tout vegan recipes.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt views replacement of meat by plant protein as the world’s No. 1 technical trend. The financial investment community is betting on innovative start-ups, like Beyond Meat, or Impossible Foods. Even Tyson Foods new CEO sees plant protein as meat industry’s future.

Global Meat News reports that nearly half of consumers are reducing meat intake. Indeed, per capita red meat consumption has dropped by a whopping 25 percent in the past 40 years.

Every one of us can celebrate spring by checking out the rich collection of plant-based dinners and desserts in our supermarket’s frozen food, dairy, and produce sections. An internet search on vegan foods brings rich rewards.

Bryan Vicente Visalia