Why are so many people adopting a vegan/plant-based diet?

By Vivienne and Poornima, Co-Founders of Plantier

When customers arrive asking for vegan (or plant-based) options on your menu, there may be a number of reasons for their request. Previously the term ‘vegan’ conjured up images of tie-dyed clothes wearing, peace-loving hippies but this is no longer the case. We’re seeing so many influential people in the media adopting a plant-based diet, many of whom are very vocal about their choice and reasons for it. With consumers becoming more and more informed about the environment, health and wellbeing and the food industry, they are increasingly empowered to make conscious decisions.

Lasting trend, not a here today gone tomorrow fad

Plant-based is not just the next ‘fad’ in eating trends, it is here to stay. Global food consultants, Baum + Whiteman, have predicted that plant-based eating is very much our future and they named it top of their food trends report of 2018. Millenials are moving away from meat as their source of protein and they’re not the only generation doing this, as Gen X are also changing their food preferences.

The evidence supporting a plant-based diet from an environmental and even health standpoint is substantial, and there is no denying the positive benefits of adopting a plant-based diet both for the individual and the environment. However, the reasons why people choose to adopt a plant-based diet, or even a flexitarian one, are vast and varied. So what are these myriad of reasons?

Food Intolerances

Food intolerance, or food sensitivity, is our body’s inability to digest certain food substances, and involves the digestive system and shouldn’t be confused with a food allergy which affects the body’s immune system. The most common food items that cause intolerance are dairy (milk and their products including cheese and butter), gluten, and caffeine but there are many other common offenders. The symptoms of a food intolerance can begin fairly soon after eating the food, or can show up a few days later making it very difficult to identify. Some more common symptoms of food intolerances include bloating, fatigue, diarrhea, abdominal pain, eczema, nausea and a runny nose. In all cases, customers requesting free-from meals are doing so out of necessity rather than preference.

Religious dietary requirements

There are religious reasons for which people adhere to certain diet choices. India often comes to mind when thinking of a country with both the highest number and percentage of vegetarians. Recent data shows that the percentage of vegetarians in India is around 20-38%. Numbers vary from state to state but when talking about 500 million people, this is a substantial number choosing to adopt a meat-free diet. Vegetarianism is largely practised traditionally among many Indian religions including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Health reasons

There are many consumers cutting down on meat for specific health reasons. With strong and increasing evidence showing that the consumption of animal products can have negative effects on our health, particularly in the areas of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, more and more people are looking for healthier diets that are good for their bodies. According to Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who co- authored with his son the famous book The China Study, "Nutrition has value beyond what we think we know. It can prevent future disease, it can cure heart disease and diabetes, and reverse and stop others. The effect of what we eat on our bodies is extraordinary. When people eat the right food, their angina pain can go away within a week. It's extraordinary. No drugs come close.” And of course this is not new thinking, Hippocrates has been famously associated with the quote ‘let food be thy medicine’.

Concern about the environmental impact of the production of animal products

Recent studies show that our food consumption habits and demands have pretty hefty impacts on the environment. There are three main ways that animal agriculture negatively affects the environment - greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and land usage and pollution. To read more about this, take a look at our recent blog post Plant-based and the environment.

Animal welfare protection

According to the WHO, annual meat production is projected to increase to 376 million tonnes by 2030, from 218 million tonnes in 1997-1999. The industrialised ways of meat production to meet this rapidly growing demand has resulted in inhumane treatment, living conditions and death of the animals. There are a growing group of celebrities like Miley Cyrus and hubby Liam Hemsworth, Ariana Grande, Bryan Adams and Tobey Maguire who have adopted a vegan or plant-based diet to protect the rights of animals and influencing others to follow suit.

Athletes

What do Venus and Serena Williams, Louis Hamilton, Jermain Defoe, David Haye, and Hannah Teter have in common? Yes they are all top athletes in their sporting field but they have also adopted a vegan or plant-based diet. From cyclists to body builders, football players to formula 1 drivers, tennis players to martial artists, the number of athletes who have seen positive benefits of adopting a plant-based diet to their performance, has and is, influencing other athletes to follow suit. Hannah Teter, an American snowboarder and three-time olympic medalist said in a 2017 interview: "I feel stronger than I've ever been, mentally, physically, and emotionally. My plant-based diet has opened up more doors to being an athlete. It's a whole other level that I'm elevating to. I stopped eating animals about a year ago, and it's a new life. I feel like a new person, a new athlete."

Putting plant-based on the menu

So whilst there are many reasons why people choose to adopt a flexitarian or plant-based diet, some might just be looking for something a bit different. Whatever the reason, the numbers are growing! With so many companies and brands recognising the growing demand, it is becoming easier than ever to adopt this lifestyle. Whilst availability and choice is improving, it’s not yet everywhere and even Jay-Z was asking for restaurant recommendations whilst on his 22-day plant-based challenge! If your menu is not Jay Z-ready or meeting the needs of this ever-increasing group of consumers, and you’re not sure how this could work with your cuisine, we’re here to help and would love to hear from you!

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