The steaks are too high: A meaty tale of plant-based resistance

Research suggests that if everyone in the world shifted to a plant-based diet we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75%. And if the whole world went vegan CO2 emissions would drop by 68% within 15 years.

Research has also linked plant-based diets to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers (compared with diets high in meat and other animal products).

If it’s better for the planet and our health, what is holding us back?

There are some big misconceptions around the nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets with worries about protein intake and other essential nutrients. Conflicting nutritional advice from various sources only confuses the issue further.

There are also some knowledge gaps in how to prepare plant-based ingredients. Many people are short on time when preparing meals so lack the time to learn new techniques.

On top of this, there is insufficient understanding of the environmental impact of dietary choices. Many people believe their meals are already sustainable. Our survey highlighted this discrepancy between people's perception of their food and its actual sustainability. 56% of respondents thought their meals were already sustainable. However dairy products (78%) and meat (71%) remained among the most regularly consumed products of those we surveyed. Way ahead of cereals (60%) and pulses (45%) which both have a considerably lower carbon footprint.

3. Taste and sensory preferences

Some people feel that the taste or texture of plant-based meat alternatives is inferior to meat. There is a sensory satisfaction around the umami flavor in animal-based dishes that some find hard to give up.

We asked our survey respondents which food products they were prepared stop eating. On average, 45% of people said that they were not prepared to stop eating fish and 42% were not prepared to give up meat.

When asked why, taste was the number one reason why people do not want to eat meat alternatives such as cereals, tubers, soy or dried vegetables instead of meat.

Taste was also the secondary reason that respondents didn’t want to eat fish, eggs, seafood or bread instead of meat either.