It’s not vegetarians who will drive the market for plant-based alternatives to animal proteins, but, rather, the adventurous omnivore willing to give new products a try en route to becoming flexitarians, said Indy Kaur, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Plant Futures Collective. She refers to meat-eaters who are willing to eat plant-based alternatives “open omnivores.”
Flexitarians, defined as those who eat a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally will eat meat or fish, are estimated to make up as much as 15% of the U.S. population.
In an interview with Green Queen, Kaur said she feels plant-based alternatives to animal proteins are poised to take off, given the popularity of no-meat Mondays, sustainability issues and other concerns.
“What’s particularly exciting is that if someone is interested in reducing meat consumption, they are also more likely to reduce their dairy consumption, and vice versa,” Kaur said. “This insight suggests that the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy categories complement each other, which is great news for both sectors. For the success of the entire category, it’s crucial that both are successful.”
Minh Tsai, CEO of tofu-maker Hodo, told The Food Institute the beauty of flexitarian diets is that consumers don’t have to give up something they love.
“Flexitarian cooking is a big tent approach for the right plant proteins,” Tsai said. “This means we have a bigger cross section of consumers and chefs being champions of plant-proteins if these products don’t require sacrificing something they love – meat — to eat more plant-based.
“Flexitarians are flexitarians and not vegans for a reason. The more we can understand and cater to what that means on the plate, the more we can grow the plant-protein market.”
The alt-meat industry was estimated at $7.17 billion in 2023 and was expected to grow to $24.77 billion by 2030. A survey released by the Good Food Institute indicates 53% of Americans had tried meat substitutes as of December compared to 43% who had not. Gen Zers and millennials were more likely to eat such foods than other demographics.
At the same time, the survey found few Americans are eliminating meat from their diets. Just 5% of the 3,079 people queried said they were vegetarian or vegan. People who said they never tried or decided against eating more plant-based meat alternatives said such products are too processed or contained unfamiliar ingredients.
Sheila Patterson, founder of The Sugar Dietitian, said economics presents the real challenge to the growth of flexitarianism.
“Flexitarianism holds significant growth potential, driven by its ability to align with consumer priorities,” Patterson said. “These foods emphasize taste and convenience while addressing growing demand for health-conscious, environmentally sustainable, and ethically sourced options.
“Additionally, growing mainstream acceptance of plant-based products and the investment in product expansion are strong indicators for future growth.”
The Food Institute Podcast
Amid inflation, restaurants need to get more creative to help bring customers through the door. What exactly can they do to improve traffic? André Moraes of PepsiCo Digital Lab shares how experiences, microinfluencers, and the Local Eats program can help propel restaurants in 2025.
