At one of the food industry’s largest and most notable tradeshows last week, the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo, food manufacturers gathered to show off the top trends in the industry. Among the major consumer trends are several notions that vegetarian food businesses are well positioned to take advantage of…

Healthy is big for both consumers and vegetarian food manufacturers, and while previous studies have found that nutritional information can impact consumer choices, this new research finds that convenience also helps seal the deal. In a study from Carnegie Mellon University, researchers found that making healthier food choices more convenient for consumers to find will encourage them to make healthier choices.

Though teens are an enigma to many adults, they are the consumers of tomorrow — heads of households and holders of the family purse who will make the decisions and shape the habits and attitudes of yet another, even newer generation. With enormous potential buying power and influence, we may believe we don’t understand this group, but what we do know about them offers great potential to vegetarian food businesses.

More great news for healthy food makers! In a nifty, new graphic taken from Reimagining Health & Wellness 2010, the Hartman Group totals up average consumer health and wellness spending and finds that average spending on wellness products has been on an upward trend since 2005.