Millions of Americans will eat plant-based wings on Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl foods are tradition. Things like nachos, hot wings and other salty, fatty, spicy foods are consumed by the masses and often washed down with cold beer. This is how Americans often watch the “big game. ” Traditions can change, however, and Compassion in World Farming now estimates that over 160 million plant-based “chicken wings” will be consumed by Americans this Super Bowl Sunday.

Chicken wings as a food have a strange history. At one time, they were considered a byproduct that was destined to be wasted. In 1964, a bar owner in Buffalo, New York accidentally received a shipment of wings instead of chicken necks. Instead of letting the chicken parts go to waste, she created the modern day “buffalo wings” dripping with hot sauce, and the rest is history. 

Buffalo wings have since grown in popularity, becoming a staple of sports bars and homes across America, where billions of the wings have been eaten. Unfortunately, the popularity of wings is not a good thing for chickens. 

With increasing focus on profit at all costs, modern agriculture has created a disaster for the well-being of animals and the environment. But now, it seems that Americans are slowly changing their preference for food. 

“But one of the fastest-growing food trends is the increasing popularity of healthy and humane plant-based versions of classic American foods, which taste identical to the animal variety. So, we decided to estimate how many football fans will be eating compassionately next Sunday,” said Ben Williamson, US Executive Director, Compassion in World Farming.

The motivation for Americans to shift away from meat is partially facilitated by the profusion of plant-based products available at grocery stores and restaurants across the country today. 

“Plant-based meat products are now more widely available than ever before, online and in your local supermarket,” said Williamson, “There’s never been a better time to replace your meat made from animals, with meat made from plants – for your health and for the sake of the planet.”

So, if you’re considering not eating meat on Super Bowl Sunday, you won’t be alone. You will also have more options than ever before to replace those traditional foods with something just as delicious. 

—

By Zach Fitzner, Earth.com Staff Writer