Today, a growing number of consumers are turning back to whole foods—and Actual Veggies is leading the charge. 

The brand, known for its vibrantly colored veggie-forward burgers, has just closed a $7 million Series A funding round led by Relentless Consumer Partners and New Fare. The investment comes at a time of major momentum, with new product launches, expanded retail distribution, and a significant push into foodservice. 

A Winning Formula: Whole Ingredients, Vibrant Colors, and Real Flavor 

Actual Veggies’ Co-Founder Hailey Swartz expressed her excitement on LinkedIn, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to transparency and delicious, vegetable-first innovation: 

“So proud and excited to announce that Actual Veggies closed our Series A earlier this year! Led by Relentless Consumer Partners and New Fare and Todd Lachman, we will continue to build on our vision of celebrating veggies, providing transparency in ingredients, and most importantly making delicious foods.” 

Swartz also announced a series of major retail and product expansions, including: 

• Coming to Costco (Southeast region) 

• New veggie burgers at Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market 

• Purple Sweet Potato Super Fries 

• A major expansion into foodservice 

These moves align with the broader industry trend toward plant-based products that lean into vegetables rather than trying to disguise them. Unlike traditional veggie burgers that rely on binders and fillers, Actual Veggies highlights the natural beauty of whole ingredients—from the deep purple of their beet-based burger to the golden orange of their sweet potato patty. 

Investors are paying attention to the consumer shift toward real food. Elly Truesdell, Founder & Managing Partner at New Fare, shared why her firm backed Actual Veggies: 

“We were believers from the first time we tried the product in late 2021… It hit so many notes! Better than anything in the category, convenient & easy to prepare, limited ingredient deck, oil-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, sturdy, functional—just delicious.” 

She also pointed out a key insight: Actual Veggies is thriving not just in natural retailers but in conventional grocery stores as well. This underscores an important trend—consumers across all dietary preferences are embracing plant-based products that are minimally processed and made with recognizable ingredients. 

Awards and Industry Recognition 

The brand’s momentum is also being validated by industry awards. Actual Veggies was a finalist for two Nexty Awards, as Swartz excitedly shared: 

“Thrilled to see the recognition of our Mushroom Mozzarella veggie burger—a mushroom quinoa veggie burger made with real dairy cheese; and our Purple Sweet Potato Super Fries. The first purple sweet potato fry… made with added veggies, higher protein, and avocado oil!” 

The recognition reflects a growing appreciation for plant-based products that celebrate whole vegetables rather than masking them.  

What This Means for Retailers & Foodservice Operators 

For retail buyers, Actual Veggies represents a strong addition to frozen aisles, where the demand for clean-label, whole-food options is growing. The fact that the brand is expanding into Costco, Whole Foods, and Sprouts demonstrates its broad appeal. 

For foodservice operators, this is an opportunity to offer a premium plant-based option that doesn’t try to mimic meat. With expanded foodservice distribution, more restaurants, cafes, and quick-service establishments can feature plant-forward burgers that showcase real ingredients—a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive market. 

The success of Actual Veggies proves that the next wave of plant-based food innovation isn’t just about replacing meat—it’s about redefining what plant-based eating looks like. As the market matures, more brands are likely to follow suit, highlighting vegetables for what they are: colorful, nutritious, and delicious. 

The plant-based meat industry is often framed as a modern invention, but as T.K. Pillan, founder of Veggie Grill and Senior Advisor to Beyond Meat, recently pointed out on LinkedIn, meat made from plants is nothing new. Cultures around the world have been creating high-protein, satisfying plant foods for centuries—and today’s leading plant-based meat companies are simply modernizing and perfecting these techniques.

By looking at the historical roots of plant-based proteins and how they’ve evolved into the products of today, we can better understand where plant-based meat fits in the broader food landscape—and why it’s here to stay.

Plant-Based Meat’s Deep Culinary Roots

Many of today’s plant-based meat products share core principles with time-honored foods that have been staples in Asian cuisines for centuries. Tofu, Tempeh and Seitan have all been around for hundreds to thousands of years, originating in China and Indonesia.

These high-protein, plant-based foods have been used for generations to provide satiety, nutrition, and versatility in cooking—long before the rise of modern plant-based meat brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.

“When we started Veggie Grill in 2006, we made our own tempeh and seitan in-house. Today, plant-based meat companies are modernizing and perfecting these techniques.” – T.K. Pillan

How Today’s Plant-Based Meat Mirrors Traditional Techniques

Modern plant-based meats, like the latest Beyond Burger IV, may seem far removed from traditional plant proteins, but the underlying process is quite similar to how foods like tofu, tempeh and seitan are made.

Beyond Meat uses protein extraction, a process involving the milling of pulses into a flour. Protein is then separated from the starch creating a concentrated protein source. An extrusion process utilizes heat and pressure to transform the texture of the protein. Oils, starches and other natural flavors are then added to enhance the flavor of the finished product.

In Beyond Meat, beets are used to add a red juiciness, honoring the experience of a eating a traditional piece of red meat.

“The result? A high-protein, cholesterol-free, and more sustainable alternative to beef—one that delivers a satisfying, meat-like experience while reducing saturated fat and eliminating added hormones or antibiotics.

If you love the high-protein satisfaction of meat, we now live in an age where you can get it from plants. I think that’s pretty cool.” – T.K. Pillan

The Bigger Picture: Consumer Perception & Industry Challenges

Despite these advancements, misconceptions persist—many fueled by meat industry-backed smear campaigns aimed at casting doubt on plant-based meats. Pillan notes that while some consumers embrace whole food plant proteins like beans and lentils, others still want the taste, texture, and satisfaction of meat—but from plants.

This is where modern plant-based meats fit into the equation—they provide a familiar sensory experience while removing many of the concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture.

The plant-based meat industry is not about reinventing the wheel—it’s about honoring traditional plant-based foods and using modern techniques to create options for today’s consumers. Whether it’s classic tofu or a state-of-the-art plant-based burger, meat from plants is here to stay.

With growing consumer demand, ongoing product improvements, and deeper understanding of what’s possible with plants, we’re witnessing the natural evolution of plant-based proteins—from ancient traditions to the future of food.

“Meat from plants? It’s not a mystery. It’s just the next chapter in a long, rich history of plant-powered eating.”