Increasingly, consumers are becoming flexible. Flexible about their diets, flexible with the flavors they crave, flexible on value. And restaurants want flexibility on the type of ingredients that can extend menus to a wider variety of diners, without pushing the budget.

Chicago-based registered dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner helped bring the concept of the flexitarian diet to the mainstream. This way of looking at food is for more casual fans of veggie-forward dining — those that lean healthy but want the ability to occasionally splurge.

Which is really a great fit for modern diners in general. Many are gravitating towards mainstream trends — take the fiber trend for example — while still indulging in vibrant international flavors and dishes they can enjoy wherever they are.

Patty Piece of Cake

Patties of all kinds — from beef, to fish, to veggie — work well across menus as the daypart lines continue to blur. In fact, according to data from Circana*, veg-forward offerings are actually outpacing other patty options year-over-year. Heading into the second half of summer, consider how a veggie-based patty can intersect with those dynamic, summery Caribbean, Asian, and Southwestern flavor profiles.

Like Royal Thai Curry Patties from MorningStar Farms® — made with real veggies you can see (and taste); nine different vegetables in total. This good source of fiber is made with a blend of vegetables and lentils, including green peas, green and red bell peppers, kale, broccoli florets, and green lentils with a blend of warm spices and savory notes.

• Meatless ✓

• Vegan ✓

• 1/4 cup vegetables per serving ✓

• 9g whole grain per serving ✓

Take Your Menu Forward

Packed with all those vegged out goodies, it’s easy to tell that this isn’t your average patty. And it’s the strikingly aromatic Thai curry flavor — consistently ranking as a top cuisine choice — that shines on a menu.

Consider how the curry notes perfectly commingle with Thai chilis, Thai-style pico de gallo, and crunchy banana chips on a Thai Pico Burger. Or how a bun slathered in a green chile pinto bean puree can add a flavor blast to a Southwest Veggie Burger. Explore even more taste buds with an Asian Veggie Grill Delight — as Asian Pride® Hoisin Sauce is drizzled over a patty, topped with grilled shitake mushrooms and spicy kimchi.

The flexible patty can be presented in a number of other ways as well: sliced to build a Tikka Bao sandwich; crumbled and spread over a protein grain bowl; for adding curry notes to salads; slotted inside a range of portable wraps. You can even chop it up and serve as part of a green shakshuka entrée.  The opportunities are endless!

With all the factors impacting dining, set sail with flavor and let flexibility be your guiding star.

*Circana, 12 months ending January 2025, Foodservice excluding Foodstores and K-12.

*Content provided in collaboration with Kellanova