How Veganism is taking over 2024 : Vegan Diet Trends & Statistics

Before we dive into the details of how the vegan diet is taking over today's world, I'd like to share a personal story. Hopefully, it will provide you with some insight on why I'm a big advocate for veganism or a plant-based diet. It's completely changed my life. I believe it's important to try everything once to see how it impacts your life, which is a rule I follow because it has transformed mine.

It was around 2017-18 when I was following a keto diet and eating lots of chicken to meet my protein goals. However, I wasn't feeling or looking good. I constantly experienced bloating, my skin was terrible, and my blood work showed that my body was really struggling. You can see my picture from those days below and watch my complete transformation video on Awesome Coffee's story page.

At this point, I decided to go vegetarian and kept eggs and dairy in my diet plan. I wanted to see how this diet could impact my overall lifestyle. To truly understand its impact, I changed only one variable, which was my diet, while keeping my training program and mostly everything else the same.

As I started to learn more about veganism, plant-based diets, and lifestyles, I realized this was a global movement. I read about athletes, CEOs, Celebrities, trainers, and nutrition coaches from around the world who advocate for people to try a plant-based diet. So, if you are on the edge and have been thinking about trying, now is the perfect time to commit to yourself, take the plunge, and see how it could possibly change your life, as it did for me and millions of others around the world.

• Vegan Diet: A vegan diet consists of consuming no animal products at all, including meat, milk, eggs, and even honey. People choose this diet out of concern for animals, to help the environment, or because they believe it is healthier.
• Vegetarian Diet: Being a vegetarian means skipping meat and fish on your plate. Some vegetarians are okay with dairy products like cheese and yogurt, and some eat eggs too. There are different kinds of vegetarians:

Folks who like both eggs and dairy (lacto-ovo vegetarians) enjoy all of those but no meat or fish. People choose to be vegetarians for lots of reasons. Some do it for their religion, some to help the environment, some because they care about animals, and others for their health.

• Plant-Based Diet: Primarily consists of plant-based foods including nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains. Basically, a plant-based diet is all about getting your nutrients from the coolest things plants can grow. It's a delicious way to fuel your body! This diet is popular due to its potential cardiovascular benefits, disease prevention capabilities, and environmental friendliness.
• Eggetarian Diet: Similar to a vegetarian diet but includes eggs. It's a good option for those who don't want to eat meat but still want some animal protein in their diet. This diet is rich in various nutrients and is an option for those seeking a healthy diet.

The largest bar on the left indicates that 40% of those polled saw no solid reasons to become vegetarians. However, others have very essential reasons. The second-largest bar indicates that 31% might try it for health reasons, such as feeling better or getting sick less. Then, 20% believe it will help them with weight management. Other considerations include food flavor, allergies, food safety, environmental impact, cost savings, and personal or cultural beliefs.

As you can see, health is at the top of the list, which is why more people are considering changing their diet. Just like me, I truly believe in the saying that health is wealth. So, if you've not been able to achieve your goals, it might be time to reconsider your diet and maybe give a vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diet a try and see if it can help you achieve your health and wellness goals.

This chart is incredibly useful because it illustrates the diversity of diets that individuals are adopting, such as those who stay away from carbohydrates, dairy, and wheat. Additionally, I can identify individuals who are inclined toward adopting a plant-based diet, vegetarians, pescatarians (those who avoid using meat but still eat fish), and vegans—those who avoid eating any animal products entirely. It is quite enlightening to observe that although half of the individuals don't follow any particular guidelines, the other half are selecting meals in an exceptionally innovative manner. This information is vital to me because it illustrates the way in which individuals are modifying their eating habits and the potential impacts that this may have on future food trends.

I've come across a chart that gives us a glimpse into the diets of adults in 2023 and breaks them down by whether they are men or women, as I put the pieces of my research paper about how people are choosing to eat in the United States together. This chart, right below, is a neat window into US male & female eating habits.

I learned that as of June 2023, about 4% of adults are sticking to a vegan diet, which means they don't eat meat, cheese, or any food that comes from animals. When I dug deeper, I found some more interesting stuff: in a survey, 7% of young people in their twenties said they're eating vegetarian, but only 2% of folks between 50 and 59 years old are doing the same. Plus, most people in the US, like a whopping 72%, think it's not okay to use animals for testing makeup. Another cool fact is that about 1 out of every 12 African Americans chooses to be vegan or vegetarian.

Looking at all this information makes me really think about the choices we make about food and how they can be different based on our age, what we believe, and even our gender. It's super important to understand these choices because they tell us a lot about where we're headed with the foods we'll eat in the future.

Did you know being a vegetarian, someone who eats only plants, is more common in some countries than others? This chart shows exactly that - how many people in different countries are vegetarians in 2023. For example, there are way more vegetarians in India than in places like Germany or the USA. Let's take a closer look at this chart to see how popular vegetarianism is around the world and why that might be.

As I said earlier, I'm a big advocate of vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based diets, and as I was doing my research, here are some cool facts that I found that could be interesting for you:

• From 2020 to 2021, there was a 199% year-on-year rise in Sales Growth for Meat Substitutes, via 1010data.
• It is Reported that Plant-based milk has a 75% repeat buy pattern that shows no signs of slowing down.
• It is projected that by 2026, the Plant-based Milk market will increase to $26 Billion. Milk is usually the first big and regular food item that Vegans look for alternatives.
• 15% of all Milk sold in the US is plant-based, currently valued at $2.8 Billion, according to Plant–Based Foods Association.
• Another food item that Vegans want a great alternative is Meat. A new report projects that the Plant-Based Meat market will double from 2020 to 2030.
• A 2022 report by Fi Global Insights states that in 2022, 26% of people around the world want to increase their intake of plant-based food & drink.
• Plant-based companies raised around $1.2 Billion in 2022, 15% of all-time investments in this category, according to the GFI report.
• In 2022, 6 in 10 U.S. households bought plant-based foods. (source)
• Google Trends shows that there is a rise in ‘Vegan’ search impressions worldwide from 2004 to 2023. The top 5 countries where there is more interest are the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.
• In 2020, sales of plant-based food in the United States with soy as the source were valued at around 587 million U.S. dollars. By 2026, this figure is expected to reach approximately one billion U.S. dollars. (Source: Statista)
• According to PETA, Vegetarian Men and Women live 9.5 and 6.1 years longer, respectively, than their meat-eating counterparts.
• A Harvard research found that people who predominantly follow plant-based diets had a 23 per cent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.
• A new study from AHA Journal, changing to a plant-based diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 32%.
• The American Institute for Cancer Research found in a new study that men following a vegan or strictly plant-based diet have 35% less chances to develop prostate cancer.
• If you want to lose weight, following a low-fat Vegan diet reduces on average about 4.9 kg after 1 year, compared to another low-fat diet via Obesity journal
• Top 5 Plant-Based Alternatives people have tried: Plant-Based Milk(81%), Dairy Product Substitutes(48%), Plant-Based Meat(44%), Egg Substitutes(25%), Plant-Based Condiments(24%) (source).
• Actors and Athletes are also turning to Veganism. Here are some of the popular names that you will be interested to know about - Joaquin Phoenix, Woody Harrelson, Billie Eilish, Lewis Hamilton, Sadie Sink, Alicia Silverstone, Kevin Smith, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Bella Ramsey, Halle Bailey.
• Here are popular Vegan Documentaries that may inspire you to switch your lifestyle to a sustainable one. Here are a few suggestions to add to your watch list: Cowspiracy (Netflix), The Game Changers (Netflix), Forks Over Knives, Eating Our Way to Extinction (YouTube), Earthlings, What the Health (Netflix), Seaspiracy (Netflix), Eating Animals.

As I finish my research into the rising popularity of vegan and plant-based diets, I've realized how transformative these diets can be. Starting my journey by switching to a plant-based diet (I’m an eggetarian) dramatically improved my own health and well-being. It's not just me—millions around the world are embracing these diets for their incredible health benefits and their positive impact on the environment. Each of us has unique reasons for our dietary choices, whether it's for health, ethical reasons, or environmental concerns. Seeing cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco leading the way in vegan options gives me hope and excitement for the future. If you're on the fence about changing your diet, maybe it’s time to dive in and see the changes for yourself. Remember, every small choice can lead to big changes, and together, we can make a difference for our health and our planet. You’re one decision away from changing your life.