Pizza repeatedly ranks as one of the top foods ordered at U.S. restaurants, and now those ingredients are starting to change. According the NPD Groups, units of plant-based protein and ingredients shipped from foodservice distributors to pizza operators increased by 56% in the second quarter compared to a year ago. Research shows that about 20% of consumers want to increase the amount of plant-based proteins they consume, and this sentiment has held steady throughout the pandemic.

Shipments of cauliflower dough and crusts to pizza operators increased by 46% in the quarter ending June compared to the same quarter year ago. Unit shipments of plant-based proteins to pizza operators, like Italian sausage, chicken, and imitation beef, grew by double-digits in the quarter. The NPD Group, in the quarter ending June 2021, there were 1.2 billion servings of pizza ordered, up four percent from the same quarter last year.

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