editor’s letter
It’s a
VEGETABLES: MIKE GARTEN; FOOD STYLING: CHRISTINE ALBANO. CARPENTER: TRAVIS HUGGETT.
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y husband and I had several conversations last year about eating less meat and they all went something like this: I would say, “We should really cut back on meat.” And he would say, “But meat is so delicious.” And then we’d return to our beef tacos or Bolognese and get on with our night. I do want to cut back— and we will this year. I’m resolving to do it right here, right now, but I need a better way to sell it to my family than calling it “plant-based eating.” I’m dealing with a chef husband who once refused to put a salad on the menu at his restaurant. And nothing sounds more terrifying to my kids than telling them we’re having plants for dinner. Roasted carrot hot dogs, mushroom burgers, a bowl of cauliflower wings— they’re totally on board for all of it. But plant-based chicken nuggets…no, thanks. Somehow the term “plant-based” swept the nation during the past few years and was swiftly, universally adopted before anyone stopped
to wonder if it sounded delicious. And it’s likely here to stay: The editors at Merriam-Webster say plant-based is a and that it is “moving steadily in the direction of being entered in our dictionary.” I sort of thought McDonald’s would figure this one out and come up with a new name, because the company knows a thing or two about marketing, but they’ve doubled down and named their meatless burger the McPlant. (It’s being tested at a few locations.) I guess “Mc” does make “Plant” sound more fun, but it’s no Happy Meal. We struggled with the terminology when we were creating the meat-free section on the flip side of this issue. Would “vegetarian” sound right? Or “vegetable-forward”? We settled on the coverline “Meatless Mania,” which is not exactly groundbreaking, but it sounds a lot more exciting than “Plant-Based Special Issue.” And if you see a Meatless Mania Burger on a fast food menu later this year, well, you read it here first.
Maile Carpenter Editor in Chief @maile__fnmag
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
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FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE
11
