Nielsen has a new report out about flexitarianism, “the latest dietary trend in the food arena, except it’s far less restrictive than options like keto, alkaline and tapeworm diets. That’s because it’s perfect for consumers who are willing to delve heavily into both traditional meat and plant-based alternatives - and they’re ushering in a new area of protein consumption in the process.”
The report notes that “only about 5% of U.S. households are vegan or vegetarian, leaving 95% as omnivores. Additionally, nearly 60% of U.S. consumers agree that having the right dietary balance of both animal and plant foods is important. What’s more, nearly all (98%) meat alternative buyers also purchase meat, and they do so more than the average meat buyer ($486 vs. $478 per year). Less than a third (27%) of meat alternative purchasers buy meat alternative products five or more times a year. So if we define flexitarian as medium and heavy buyers of both meat and meat alternatives, they account for 37% of all meat alternative buyers and they spend $643 on meat every year—a whopping $165 more per year than the average meat buyer.”
Scale, the report notes, “is the real kicker. Across the store, meat accounted for $95 billion in sales over the last year, whereas meat alternatives are still shy of crossing the billion dollar mark, coming in at $893 million.”
The report notes that “only about 5% of U.S. households are vegan or vegetarian, leaving 95% as omnivores. Additionally, nearly 60% of U.S. consumers agree that having the right dietary balance of both animal and plant foods is important. What’s more, nearly all (98%) meat alternative buyers also purchase meat, and they do so more than the average meat buyer ($486 vs. $478 per year). Less than a third (27%) of meat alternative purchasers buy meat alternative products five or more times a year. So if we define flexitarian as medium and heavy buyers of both meat and meat alternatives, they account for 37% of all meat alternative buyers and they spend $643 on meat every year—a whopping $165 more per year than the average meat buyer.”
Scale, the report notes, “is the real kicker. Across the store, meat accounted for $95 billion in sales over the last year, whereas meat alternatives are still shy of crossing the billion dollar mark, coming in at $893 million.”
- KC's View:
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Am I wrong, or is being a flexitarian just another way of saying that a person has a diverse and balanced diet? It isn’t Nielsen’s fault - I don’t think it coined the term - but it seems to me that sometimes we come up with terms for trends that don’t necessarily require them.
