Nuli, Nigeria’s leading healthy food restaurant chain and natural juice brand, and Veggie Victory, Nigeria’s first vegan food company, have formed a ground-breaking partnership by launching a 100% plant-based meat product at all Nuli restaurants in Lagos.
‘Vchunks’ is a meat-substitute, manufactured by Veggie Victory, made exclusively from plants like wheat, meaning it is all-natural, without cholesterol or animal fats.
Over recent years, research has linked the consumption of high amounts of processed meats to problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity and some cancers.
This explains why many are switching to fully whole food, plant-based diets like vegan and vegetarian, or ‘flexitarian’ diets, where they reduce their animal meat consumption by occasionally substituting with plant-based alternatives.
In Nigeria, this is the first time that a healthier protein alternative becomes available to customers at an established restaurant chain.
Most will be curious at the fact that meat, which is known to come from animals, can also come from plants. They will be glad to find that the taste, texture and protein-content of Vchunks plant meat is similar to any regular beef or chicken, and even more affordable.
With the launch of Vchunks, health-conscious Nuli-Lovers now have a convenient way to add ‘Meatless-Mondays’ to their weekly routine, improving their overall health.
Over the last five years Nuli has been dedicated to delivering healthy food and beverage options to Nigerians, using only fresh produce sourced from Nigerian farms.
As we face a raging global health pandemic, statistics have shown that most deaths from the disease has been found in people who had pre-existing health conditions, typically linked to obesity, a condition mainly caused by unhealthy nutritional habits.
Studies show that obesity can even hinder the vaccine efficacy once used.
And so now, more than ever, is the time to use the best ways to care for our health and boost our immune system to fight the disease. Good personal hygiene, balanced nutrition and peace of mind, should now be at the core of our activities.
“What you feed your body with is what is ultimately reflected in your health, state of mind, and your body’s ability to fight diseases”, says Ada Osakwe, founder and creative force behind the fast-growing fresh-casual brand that grew from a small juice company five years ago to a chain of restaurants today.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with the visionary, home-grown company Veggie Victory, to now offer our #NuliLovers a genuine plant-based meat option in Vchunks. I was incredibly amazed at how Vchunks tastes just like the usual meats and I know many people will love it for its health benefits too. Also, Vchunks is made from Nigerian agriculture produce, and this bring me joy,” Osakwe said.
Hakeem Jimoh, the visionary founder of Veggie Victory also commented, “With our Vchunks we give Nigerians a healthier, delicious meat option. Vchunks has a texture just like meat and can be prepared and seasoned in many different ways: for soups, stews, meat pies, shawarma or even as Asun, Suya, Kilishi or Nkwobi. Such an alternative to meat will have tremendous impact on people’s health and also helps efforts that tackle food security, environmental and socio-economic challenges.
“We are really happy to find a natural partner in Nuli to help bring Vchunks to millions of Nigerians,” Jimoh said.