Vegetarian, vegan diets poised for growth in Canada, report suggests

Chicago – While the share of consumers who eat vegetarian and vegan substitutes has remained consistent since 2014, the customers who eat these items are doing so more often now than they were in 2014, suggests a new report from Technomic.

Meat and seafood are staples of consumers’ diets, with beef and chicken continuing to be the most frequently consumed proteins, the research firm said in a news release.

“While meat is a staple of consumers’ diets, plant-based proteins will eat away at animal protein share,” says Kelly Weikel, director of consumer insights at Technomic. “Innovating plant-based protein dishes with unique flavors and new types of meat alternatives like those made from jackfruit can help address consumers’ concerns around taste and help position a brand as a go-to destination for meatless dishes.”

Key takeaways from the report include:

• 27% of consumers aged 18-34 regularly consume vegetarian substitutes, compared to 15% of consumers aged 35 or older.
• 40% of seafood consumers want restaurants to offer a wider variety of seafood entrees, while roughly 30% of chicken and beef consumers say the same.
• Among men, 59% would likely order lamb and 49% would likely order bison at restaurants, if offered.

The full report is available from Technomic.