Nearly Half of US Adults Are Now Consuming Plant-Based Meat and Milk

Nearly half of adults residing in the United States (48 percent) have consumed plant-based milk or meat products in the time period between April 2019 and July 2019, according to a new survey conducted by consulting agency Cultivate Insights. The survey included a representative sample of 2,068 individuals aged 18 and older. Of the respondents that indicated they had purchased plant-based products, 38 percent bought plant-based milk, 29 percent bought plant-based meat, and seven percent bought plant-based eggs during the survey period. Cultivate Insights found that younger generations were more likely to purchase plant-based products with 54% of Generation Z women and 49% of millennial women indicating that they bought plant-based foods recently, along with 45% of millennial men and 41% of Generation X women. Twenty-eight percent of male Baby Boomers indicated they had purchased plant-based products recently. “Plant-based buying has become common in all major demographic groups,” Cultivate Insights principal and lead report author Che Green said. “Part-time vegetarians are helping shape a new food system driven by health, sustainability, and animal welfare.” 

When it came to brand recognition, on average, plant-based buyers were able to identify six out of the 15 leading plant-based brands and purchased products from more than three of these brands recently. “When it comes to plant-based foods, the rising tide is lifting all brands,” Green said. “From industry pioneers to new companies, the data indicates that all of the brands in the survey are benefiting from a rapidly growing market.” According to a separate report released in July by advocacy group Good Food Institute (GFI) and trade group Plant Based Food Association (PBFA), the vegan food industry is currently worth $4.5 billion and sales in the sector have grown by 11 percent during the 52-week period ending on April 29, 2019.