There are a wide variety of different diets out there, and it can be confusing to keep track of what foods are acceptable for each one. We’ve put together a general overview of them here, but let’s home in on the two that most focus on eliminating animal products:

Vegan diets omit all animal-based products. This means dairy, eggs, and meat are off-limits. Most vegans also eliminate ingredients for which animals might be harmed, such as honey or white cane sugar.

People who refer to their diet as "plant-based" will say that they take the vegan concept one step further and generally eschew processed items and focus on foods with “whole” ingredients from fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. In fact, the number 3 reason customers cite for rejecting a plant-based version of an item is that it is too processed or contains artificial ingredients**.

Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce a person’s risk of:

• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure

Many people also report an overall improvement in their general physical and mental health when switching to a plant-based diet***.

For some, avoiding certain ingredients isn’t a choice; it is a necessity. Ingredients such as dairy, for example, are off-limits for some people, and there are many other foods that your customers may seek to avoid for one reason or another. Whether someone is seeking a plant-based treat in order to make healthier choices or because it is medically necessary for them to avoid animal-based ingredients, the increased availability of vegan options means that delicious, high-quality alternatives to conventional treats can be within easy reach.

How much of a difference can switching to a vegan or plant-based diet really make? It is widely accepted now that the environmental cost of raising animals for food is substantial, both in terms of the inputs required and the amount of space these animals and their food take up. Using the land, water, and energy to grow plants instead can mean more food can be produced using fewer resources. When land once used for animal production is transitioned to use for growing a carbon-sequestering crop like legumes, the benefit to the planet is even more substantial.

Here's a secret we think a lot of chefs and artisans aren't in on yet: there's no need to compromise taste, texture, or creativity when creating vegan or dairy-free recipes. It's true that in the past, plant-based snacks and treats might have had an odd texture or an overly-"healthy" flavor. There simply weren't very many ingredient options. That is no longer the case today. Plant-based ingredients offer a world of great-tasting options, and many perform just as conventional ingredients do. 

Callebaut NXT is completely dairy-free and available in both dark and milk chocolate (the "milk" is made from Chufa). Incredible, indulgent, plant-based bonbons, tablets, caramels, tarts, and more are within easy reach. Chefs and confectioners can continue to focus on quality and creativity, confident that they can create indulgent snacks and treats that all of their customers can enjoy.

And the future is here!

Callebaut’s revolutionary plant-based NXT Chocolate is 

Better for you:

- from delicious, 100% plant-based ingredients

- no artificial flavorings or colorants

- no detectable traces of milk

Better for the planet:

- no ingredients of animal origin

- made entirely with plant-based ingredients, which means:

✔lower CO2 emissions

✔less water & energy use

✔uses less of the planet’s surface

- only ingredients from renewable sources

- in a planet-friendly mono-material packaging: without aluminum and recyclable