Flexible approach: Nestle Oceania taps family favourites for first ‘flexitarian’ range of MAGGI recipe bases

13-Oct-2021 - Last updated on 13-Oct-2021 at 02:26 GMT

Nestle Oceania’s first flexitarian product range, a series of recipe bases launched under the MAGGI brand, is tapping into family favourite dishes. ©MAGGI ANZ

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Nestle Oceania’s first flexitarian product range, a series of recipe bases launched under the MAGGI brand, is tapping into family favourite dishes to appeal to consumers looking to reduce meat intake.

The MAGGI range, dubbed Your Meal Your Way, comprises of seven recipe bases common to Australia and New Zealand consumers including Cottage Pie, Chow Mein, Chilli Con Carne, Mexican Nachos, Bolognaise, Cheesy Lasagne and Smoked Paprika Burrito.

“We opted to stick with tried and tested recipes for this range as [our research showed] that chicken dishes (60%), spaghetti bolognese (55), and stir fry (54%) are among the most popular meals cooked at home, [and] most parents were looking for products [enabling them to] make a meal quickly (59%), that are easy to make (55%) and can please fussy eaters (43%),” Nestle Head of Marketing - Foods, Nicole Fox told FoodNavigator-Asia.

“[The aim was to] inspire families with flexible cooking options, so this new range of recipe bases [was designed to] enable home cooks interested in trying plant-based recipes to make simple switches to safe and familiar dishes that their family already know and love.

“The main target demographic for this range includes younger households and families in Australia and New Zealand that are looking for variety at meal times and interested in trying plant based recipes.”

The flexitarian recipe bases are flexitarian due to being suitable for use to make both meat-based and plant-based dishes –

When we asked Fox about Nestle’s reasoning for developing a flexitarian range as opposed as a plant-based range, she explained that this was because many are still not yet sure how to make the switch.

“[The demand from consumers looking to] incorporate more plant based meals into the weekly dinner routine has really driven vast changes in our category, especially the development of products and extensions of existing product lines suitable for those with a flexitarian approach to home cooking,” she said.

“[We know that] 63% of Australians are looking to reduce their meat consumption and are looking for simple ways in which to make the switch, [but] MAGGI research found that many families are unsure of where to start when incorporating plant based recipes.

“So the Your Meal, Your Way recipe bases offer families the flexibility and confidence to make simple switches via safe and familiar dishes., [whilst also] allowing parents to be more adventurous when cooking for their families.”

The MAGGI Your Meal, Your Way recipe bases are already available in major Australian supermarkets Coles and Woolworths as well as other independent stores at A$1.69 (US$1.22) per pack; and in major New Zealand supermarkets such as Countdown for NZ$1.70 (US$1.17) per pack.

Chilli Con Carne, Mexican Nachos, and Bolognaise are only available in Australia, whereas Cheesy Lasagne and Smoked Paprika Burrito are only available in New Zealand. Cottage Pie and Chow Mein are available in both countries.

More plant-based options on the way

Moving forward, Nestle Oceania’s focus in this area will be more on plant-based product innovation, similar to its counterparts in other parts of the Asia Pacific region such as Malaysia and Japan.

“Nestle has an ongoing commitment to introduce more plant-based products across all of our categories, aligned to our Climate Roadmap to Net Zero,” said Fox.

“MAGGI is just one of our many brands looking to develop products and extensions of existing product lines that are suitable for those looking for plant-based alternatives in the kitchen.”

In addition to the flexitarian MAGGI range, Nestle Oceania also already has a variety of other products in its portfolio suitable for plant-based consumers including Harvest Gourmet plant-based burger patties and a plant-based MILO.