New research by the International Food Information Council Foundation(IFIC) examined 1,000 respondents’ insights into plant-based alternatives perceived health profile, environmental impact and how they choose to try them over meat products.

More data has emerged to sharpen the consumer habits behind the plant-based phenomenon.  While only 61% of the survey respondents self-identified as omnivores, a full 49% said they had tried plant-based meat alternatives. Consumers reported that “liking to try new foods,” was the main reason behind trying the plant-based alternatives, the second reason was ” I’ve been hearing a lot about them.”

IFIC found that when it comes to plant-based food, nutrition facts are more important to consumers than ingredients. Consumer perception in plant-based foods is that they are healthier, whether or not the ingredients list reflects that.

Kris Sollid, a registered dietitian for IFIC and a researcher on the study told Forbes, “I know that, anecdotally, I’ve observed the explosion in the meat aisle of my local grocery store…but I wasn’t sure how that translates to people having actually tried them.”

53% of respondents said they liked the taste of the plant-alternatives when asked about their favorite part of eating the product. And 47% believe that plant alternatives are better for the environment than animal meat.  Sollid said that, “when we got to the environment question…it was pretty overwhelming.” IFIC predicted that sustainability and Climate change would be “two food trends” for 2020.

Plant-based diets continue to increase in popularity as dairy producers file for bankruptcy and meat-alternative companies like Impossible Foods continue to release new products.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects. 

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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