New food concept will break down misconceptions about plant-based foods - using traditional crops to create the food of the future

To be able to move forward, it can sometimes be a good idea to look back. A new climate-smart food concept based on Swedish cultural heritage crops will break through young people's prejudices about plants and prove once and for all that it is the food of the future.

Fast food is popular among young Swedish people but only one in five eats their recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. There is a feeling that healthy food doesn’t taste good. To try and counteract this, the Greenfood subsidiary, Ahlströms, has decided to continue investing heavily tasty and healthy plant-based food using Swedish ingredients. The new food concept, “Back to the Roots”, will prove to young people that vegetarian food is just as good to eat as it is good for the planet.

“We want to be the market leader in plant-based foods and show, once and for all, how tasty plant-based meals can be. That is why we are investing in more target group-adapted food concepts for restaurants and school meals while, at the same time, we are expanding our range of plant-based products from Swedish protein sources,” said Jacob Ahlström, CEO of Ahlströms.

Interest in plant-based food with fruit and vegetables as their foundation has exploded in recent years and the vegetarian market is currently worth billions. However, there has been a lack of processing of Swedish raw materials into plant-based protein. Ahlströms has solved this by developing products with ingredients that are, today, part of Sweden’s cultural heritage, such as Swedish legumes and special crops rich in protein. Legumes come from Nordisk Råvara, a Swedish supplier that specializes in the cultivation of organic and KRAV-labelled cultural heritage crops.

About the concept
The “Back to the Roots” concept is aimed at restaurants and school kitchens. With the help of specially developed recipes and menus, diners will discover new vegetarian dishes and gain an increased understanding of how the food we eat affects the climate.