“Chickpeas, and more broadly beans, are one of the best foods for human health and the environment,” said Brian Rudolph, CEO and co-founder, Banza. “Since launching our crust, we’ve hoped to create a vegan cheese pizza. Consumer research echoed that sentiment, along with an interest in supreme. While we aren’t comfortable using meat, we’re filling the void using a plant-based option. We created these two new varieties to give people another way to enjoy their favorite foods, all while eating more chickpeas.”

The new pizza offerings are catering to the growing number of consumers on the hunt for plant-based options, a market that has enjoyed explosive growth that shows no sign of slowing. Chickpeas are frequent favorites in plant-based diets because of their high protein and fiber content as well as being a sustainable protein source. The partnership among Banza, Follow Your Heart and Beyond Meat allows the companies to bring pizza to those craving more diverse plant-based options.