Each generation creates its own habits. This even applies to hobbies: for example, the so-called ‘boomer’ generation prefers land-based casinos to try their luck, while those born in the 90s and later like to play on sites like Mr Bet. A similar difference can be seen in dietary habits. Plant-based diets are much more popular among the generation known as ‘millennials’ and this seems to be more than a simple trend. This shift in dietary preferences has the potential to change the food industry.
Health Benefits and Nutritional Awareness
There are multiple reasons why millennials prefer plant-based diets, but the most important one is that the health benefits associated with them are becoming increasingly recognized. Multiple studies are showing that a plant-based diet lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure and is rich in vitamins & minerals. So, with a diet like that:
- You can achieve enhanced energy levels and improve your skin health,
- You do not need to take artificial vitamin supplements daily,
- You can keep your calorie intake under control and stay fitter,
- Thanks to fibre-heavy foods, you can enjoy a much healthier digestive system.
In short, millennials prefer a plant-based diet because it contributes to what is known as “well-being”: this is one of the most important reasons why this option is attractive.
Environmental Concerns
Compared to other generations, millennials are much more conscious about protecting the environment and willing to take responsibility for it. This also affects their dietary choices: they are aware that their food choices will have a positive or negative impact on the environment, meaning they know that traditional meat & dairy-based eating habits are not sustainable.
This leads them to make choices that respect the environment and are sustainable, and plant-based diets can provide this. In other words, environmental sustainability is among the reasons why they prefer this diet. Lots of research shows that brands that are transparent about their environmental impact are preferred among millennials.
The fact that most millennials are interested in animal rights movements is also part of these concerns. Vegan or vegetarian diets support animal welfare and is one of the reasons why it is preferred. It is also worth noting that this generation is not influenced by standard marketing campaigns. They focus on ethical beliefs, not slogans, forcing brands to engage with them differently.
Culinary Diversity & Innovation
There was a time when a vegan diet meant “blandness,” but the culinary landscape has evolved a lot since those days. Plant-based dishes are now extremely diverse and can include many different flavours. One of the favourite things of millennials is culinary experiences: they prefer menus with fusion cuisines and bold flavours, which can be achieved with vegan foods. This is forcing restaurants and food producers to innovate and change.
We can say that a busy life also contributes to this. Millennials love fast food that can keep up with their fast pace as much as the fine dining experience. In a meat and dairy-based kitchen, fast food is difficult to prepare, and the variety is extremely limited. In a plant-based kitchen, on the other hand, you can get an enormous variety much more easily. If you browse the markets, you will see that most of the frozen meals, snacks, and ready-to-cook kits are plant-based. Therefore, the change in daily nutrition and fine dining preferences are among the reasons for the increasing popularity of this diet.
Social Media Influence
We mentioned above that millennials are not impressed by traditional advertising techniques. However, there are still different ways to reach them, and social media is at the top of the list. Unless it is a shameless marketing effort, millennials can easily interact with the content shared on platforms such as Instagram, X and TikTok. For example, recipes, cooking tips, and food experiences shared on these platforms can reach millions of people in a very short time and influence their preferences. Even a single influencer can convince millions of people to try something different.
This means that even a small number of influencers can change dietary preferences. The most important thing to remember is that millennials prefer brands that resonate with their values and see everything as an “experience.” In other words, they are much more inclined to buy something recommended by an influencer they follow or change their preferences. This means that social media also has a significant role in changing dietary preferences.
As millennials continue to make up a significant portion of the demographic with purchasing power, you can be sure that we will not see a decline in the popularity of plant-based diets. This popularity is driven by many different factors, including health consciousness, environmental concerns, culinary innovation, and social media influence. For the same reason, this is much more than a trend: you can expect millennial dietary preferences to continue for at least a few more decades!