New York (CNN Business) Subway is exploring the plant-based protein trend with a meatless meatball sub.

The sandwich chain will start selling the product, made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein , at 685 restaurants in the United States and Canada next month. The Beyond Meatball Marinara sub will be available for a limited time.

The Beyond Meatball Marinara sub is made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein.

For restaurants, testing out the products is a way to cash in on a fast-growing trend. US retail sales of plant-based foods have grown 11% in the past year, according to a July report from trade group Plant Based Foods Association and the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that supports plant-based businesses. Barclays predicts the alternative meat sector could reach about $140 billion over the next decade, capturing about 10% of the global meat industry.

Most restaurants are chasing flexitarian eaters rather than strict vegans. Subway's Beyond sub, for example, comes with Parmesan cheese.

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