Making Whole Food Plant Based Fun, Colorful and Tasty with Jason Rosenbaum of Actual Veggies
Actual Veggies CEO Jason Rosenbaum and his co-founder, Hailey Swartz, didn’t set out to make a whole food plant-based product that appealed to everybody.
But that’s exactly what they did with their line of colorful burgers.
When Jason stopped eating meat for his health, he couldn’t find an alternative to his favorite meat, the beef burger, that met his standards. Although he recognizes plant-based meats as a tasty and helpful “next step” for people transitioning from a standard Western diet to a plant-based diet, he and Hailey wanted to go the next step and offer healthier options.
Their philosophy is simple: Make something from 100% whole plant foods that looks good, tastes good and is easy to prepare. Without compromising on these principles, Jason and Hailey worked with their team to create a line of burgers in a rainbow of colors—all crafted using veggies, beans, grains and spices.
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Episode Highlights
- The experience of growing a brand in a category dominated by big names that aren’t whole food plant based
- How making a whole food plant-based product colorful and attractive can drive adoption across demographics and into the mainstream
- Retailers’ and consumers’ increasing demand for healthier plant-based products
- Why customer feedback is critical in product development
- The “plant-forward” trend that’s taking plant-based food to the next (healthier) level
- The changing narrative around plant-based eating and whole food plant based in particular
- How having advocates who can positively influence the public toward plant-based can help brands in the space grow
Jason encourages other whole food plant-based brands to stick to their principles and persevere through the ups and downs of business.
“Don’t compromise on your foundation or on what you set out to do,” he advises. That’s how he and Hailey turned their passion project into a business they love and that’s making a difference in the plant-based movement—and the world.
About Actual Veggies and Co-Founders Jason & Hailey
Founded in early 2020 and headquartered in New York City, Actual Veggies is redefining what retail and food service consumers consider a plant-based burger with its four different varieties of its ¼-pound, chef-crafted veggie burger patties made with only fresh, actual vegetables, grains and spices. Actual Veggies can be found at Sprouts, HungryRoot, and online at ShopVejii.com and www.actualveggies.com.
Find (and Follow) Actual Veggies
- https://actualveggies.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actualveggies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actualveggies
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/actualveggies
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/actual-veggies/
- Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosenbaumjason/
- Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileyswartz/
- Where to buy: https://actualveggies.com/pages/where-to-buy
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