For 50 years, our MorningStar Farms® brand has been making plant-based and vegetarian eating delicious and approachable for everyone, and today we honor its legacy with a look back on its storied history.

In the late 1800s in the United States, efforts began to make the first early versions of plant-based meat alternatives. A brand named Protose was the first to offer a meat alternative made of peanut and grain protein.

Fast forward to 1974, and Miles Laboratories, a subsidiary of Worthington Foods, the first company to offer frozen meat alternatives, creates the MorningStar Farms brand. From day one, the focus was to deliver great-tasting products, which included Breakfast Strips, Links and Patties, Grillers, Scramblers, and much more.

Innovation with an ambition to diversify the brand’s portfolio followed for the next two decades. MorningStar Farms expanded into chicken alternatives with Chik’n Patties and Nuggets. It also launched new product flavors, such as a Spicy Black Bean Burger—still available today!

By 1997, MorningStar Farms had over 50% market share of the meat alternative category and was sold in more than 96% of the country’s supermarkets. The Kellogg Company—now Kellanova—acquired Worthington Foods in 1999, and since then it has continued to grow MorningStar Farms’ foods to help fuel people’s entire day.

Today, MorningStar Farms products are available in over 20,000 grocery stores nationwide. There are dozens of foods across breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking and a wide variety of flavors and formats, from Buffalo Chik’n Patties to Bacon Strips to Korean BBQ Riblets. The brand is also available on hundreds of menus across restaurants, K-12 schools and colleges universities thanks to Kellanova’s Away From Home business.

While many brands have entered what is now the plant-based and vegetarian foods space, MorningStar Farms continues to evolve through innovation focused on great taste and unique consumer experiences. Earlier this year, it relaunched Riblets, the category’s number one innovation item, and debuted a new “Its Good on the Farms” creative campaign to drive top of mind consumer awareness.

“MorningStar Farms’ 50^th anniversary is a celebration of the remarkable innovation that has defined the brand since the beginning and its longstanding commitment to supporting people’s wellbeing,” said Joe Beauprez, Senior Director of Marketing, Frozen Foods, Kellanova. “While the landscape has changed so much throughout its history, the brand has always stayed true to its mission to make plant-based and vegetarian foods taste good and approachable for everyone. As we move forward, whether it’s bringing back fan favorite items like Riblets or building new connections through partnerships with Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson East and Chef Mitchell Aboujamra of Evette’s Kitchen, we’ll keep innovating and exploring new ways to excite and delight our consumers. This year marks a huge milestone, and I’m immensely proud to celebrate it with our team members, customers and consumers.”

There’s more to come from MorningStar Farms. Keep an eye out for news and updates by visiting MorningStarFarms.com.