OnePoll conducted a study on behalf of Violife that found that many Americans did not find plant-based diets palatable. The survey of 2000 Americans found that three in five would incorporate plant-based meals into their diets if they tasted better.
Reasons Americans had given up on plant-based diets
Researchers found that 17% of the participants had tried a plant-based diet but gave it up. The reasons were that they didn’t find variety in their diets (23%) or didn’t like the taste (28%). Moreover, the average respondent could only maintain a vegan or vegetarian diet for about three months.
Of the participants who had tried the plant-based diet, only 21% felt it met their needs. However, not all of them abandoned the diet because they didn’t like it. Others felt social pressure, with 13% giving up a vegan diet when their families didn’t follow it.
Americans weren’t willing to transition fully to a plant-based diet
Researchers realized that only 45% of respondents were curious about transitioning to a plant-based diet. Despite this, 49% were willing to add more plant-based meals to their diets. Another 74% preferred to occasionally indulge in a plant-based diet rather than exclusively, with 70% claiming an exclusively plant-based diet wasn’t a change they were willing to make.
Researchers also found that about 63% of the participants paid little attention to the type of food they ate despite its impact on their health. Millennials were less likely to pay attention to the food they ate. About 69% would indulge in their cravings even though it was bad for them. Furthermore, over 50% of respondents considered pizza a guilty pleasure.
About 59% of respondents who chose a plant-based diet did it for health reasons. Researchers also asked the participants to name the healthy food they ate. The answers included apples (56%), broccoli (58%), bananas (59%), and chicken (60%).
While only 1 in 5 participants had enjoyed a plant-based diet, 21% admitted they would give plant-based cheese a try if it came as a free sample in a grocery store.
According to Violife’s spokesman, Erica Cheung, many Americans are interested in trying plant-based foods. However, several perceptions are that such diets don’t have the right texture, flavor, and taste compared to animal products.
