New research has found that 38% of UK adults and more than half of under-35s intend to eat more plant-based foods.
Nonprofit and think tank the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe), along with global market research agency HarrisX and industry partner Plant Futures, surveyed 2,394 people to assess UK eating habits and attitudes.
The survey finds that 54% of adults aged under 35 intend to change their diets by eating more plant-based food.
It also reveals that more than half of all adults plan to either eat more plant-based foods or less animal meat and dairy, and one in five intends to do both.
The findings follow recommendations made by GFI Europe, with Green Alliance and the Food Foundation, for how the UK government could provide greater access to healthy and sustainable plant-rich diets in its forthcoming Food Strategy – including boosting research into tastier plant-based foods and expanding British horticulture.
The new survey profiles consumer groups based on dietary change intentions, suggests ways the plant-based sector can appeal to a wider range of people, and highlights opportunities to bring these foods closer to animal products on factors like taste, familiarity and convenience.
It finds:
- Only 9% described themselves as vegans, vegetarians or pescatarians, but 31% said they were ‘flexitarians’ who ate small amounts of meat or were reducing their meat consumption.
- A further 31% were meat eaters who had eaten at least one of the eight categories* of plant-based food examined in the report during the previous year.
- Nearly two-thirds reported having eaten at least one plant-based category in the last 12 months.
More than a third said they had eaten at least one vegetable-based meal, including dishes made with falafel, lentils or chickpeas, over the past month. Around a quarter had consumed plant-based milk or plant-based meat – a figure that is consistent with previous research.
The survey identified three groups planning to change their diets:
- More plants, less meat and dairy – who want to eat more plant-based foods and cut animal-based meat and dairy consumption. This includes people looking for healthier lifestyles, often with weight loss goals.
- Plant-based increasers – who want to eat more plant-based foods without cutting animal meat and dairy. This consists of younger, higher-income people, often men, seeking protein and fibre, with fitness goals such as building muscle.
- Meat and dairy reducers – who want to eat less meat and dairy without intending to eat more plant-based foods. This tends to be older people wanting to lose weight.
Almost twice as many people said they enjoyed the taste of animal-based meat and dairy compared to those who said they enjoyed plant-based foods. A majority (64%) said they would choose conventional meat and dairy out of habit, against just 27% who said this about plant-based foods.
People also scored plant-based foods lower than conventional meat and dairy on factors such as availability, confidence in cooking and the likelihood of their friends and family eating these foods. Fewer people knew about the nutritional value of plant-based foods than about that of animal-based meat and dairy.
Studies on plant-based meat products available in the UK have consistently found that, on average, plant-based meat products are high in protein, provide a source of dietary fibre and are low in sugar and saturated fat. Evidence suggests that it can also reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduce the risk of bowel cancer, improve gut health and help maintain a healthy weight.
A recent study found that alongside these benefits, plant-based meat products consistently had a fraction of the environmental impacts of conventional meat, producing 86-94% less greenhouse gas emissions, while using 71-89% less land, and 74-93% less water.
Helen Breewood, senior market and consumer insights manager at GFI Europe, said: “Plant-based foods can help tackle some of the UK’s most pressing health concerns, and this report reveals a potential market for these products extending far beyond vegans or vegetarians. But to enable people to act on their intentions and adopt healthier, more sustainable diets, the industry must understand what motivates different types of consumers.
“Factors such as taste, familiarity and convenience are blocking large groups of people from choosing plant-based foods, so companies need to develop tastier products, communicate nutritional benefits more clearly, and help consumers overcome their lack of familiarity with simple recipe suggestions.”
Indy Kaur, founder of Plant Futures, said: “Applying this model to behaviour change has brought much-needed clarity and direction to the plant-based food sector. For the first time, we can clearly see the gaps in capability and opportunity that exist for people who are interested in eating more plant-based food or reducing their meat and dairy intake.
“This deeper, more nuanced understanding of what’s holding people back is essential if we want to support healthier and more sustainable dietary choices at scale.”
