The 6 Types of Plant-Based Meat Consumers, and How Brands Can Attract Them

The “addressable market” for plant-based meat and dairy in the US is large, with potential consumers largely omnivores. What does it say about the industry’s future?

Some 71% of Americans say they’re likely to eat products like vegan chicken and oat milk, forming an expansive “addressable market” for plant-based alternatives, a new survey has found.

Using data from a 3,000-person poll it conducted with Ipsos in 2024, alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) sought to find which consumers were and weren’t open to the animal-free category, and grouped them into six segments. The survey involved Americans aged 18-59, who had bought a plant-based meat or dairy product within the preceding month.

GFI divided them into the addressable market (those who see proteins as important for health and nutrition, and feel plant-based meat aligns with those needs) and the rejectors (who turn to protein for taste, satiety and muscle-building, while being more geared towards animal-based sources).

When asked about the role of meat or protein, around four in 10 Americans in the addressable market said they like the taste and find it good for their health. This group tends to be younger, living in urban areas (especially in the West), have a household income above $100,000, and have children in the home.

Meanwhile, 55% of the rejectors like the taste of meat/protein, and four in 10 said it’s filling and healthy. These consumers are more likely to be older, living in the Midwest and suburban areas, and have no children in the household. More than half of them agree that it’s natural for people to eat animals.

Which Americans make up the addressable market for plant-based meat?

For companies in the plant-based space, understanding the addressable market is vital to success. GFI found that these consumers fell into six segments with distinct attitudes, needs, and motivations. They are mostly omnivores – not vegans or vegetarians – looking to add meat analogues to their diets.

Four of these segments demonstrate higher engagement with plant-based meat and find it delivers unique benefits to them – they make up 57% of the addressable market and over 80% of current plant-based meat eaters.

Ethical Alternative Seekers

Accounting for 10% of the addressable market, these consumers care about sustainability and animal welfare, and are more likely to eat organic and less processed food. This group is diverse and skews younger, with people more likely to be non-white, women, and living in child-free households.

Two-thirds of Ethical Alternative Seekers have been reducing their meat consumption over the past year, while 57% have eaten plant-based meat in that period. And a large majority (81%) are very or extremely likely to consume them in the future, though they’ll be more motivated to do so if these products are less processed, healthier, and easier to find.

Health-Conscious Compromisers

As the name suggests, this group is all about health. They represent the largest share (28%) of meat alternative eaters currently, and 18% of the addressable market. Health-Conscious Compromisers tend to be older, female, and have no children – and while they worry about the potential risks of meat, they don’t want to compromise on taste.

For this group, avoiding processed food, losing weight and adding more fibre is important, and 60% of them say they’re likely to continue eating vegan alternatives in the future. Most of them (70%) agree that these products are healthy, though they are currently deterred by the gap in taste, texture and price with conventional meat.

Nutrition-Focused Integrators

Making up another 10% of the addressable market, Nutrition-Focused Integrators pay close attention to what they eat and how it tastes. They’re majority of Millennials, white, married, and have children at home. Conventional meat is a big part of their diet, while 10% have cut back, 20% have begun eating it more.

However, they do hold concerns around health and sustainability, which has pushed them towards plant-based alternatives. In fact, 85% have eaten these products in the last year (the highest of any segment), and 86% said they would continue to do so. To sway them, vegan meat analogues need to be more affordable, high in protein, and cleaner-label.

Protein Maximisers

These consumers value protein both as a comfort and functional food, and again, the majority of this group falls under the Millennial demographic. They’re more likely to exercise regularly and have emotional attachments to meat. They account for 19% of the addressable market.

Nearly six in 10 Protein Maximisers have increased their meat intake in the last 12 months, while half of them consumed plant-based versions in this time. This segment is the most likely to eat the latter in the future (89%) – to attract them, companies need to enhance the texture, reduce fat, and make the products easier to cook with.

Carefree Considerers

Gen Zers, Black and Hispanic Americans, and households with below-average incomes represent the key demographics of Carefree Considerers, who have relatively few health concerns and don’t care much about what they eat. They stick to what they know, and familiarity makes conventional meat a go-to.

Only 15% of them ate plant-based meat in the past year, and they’re the least aware of these products (63%). Two-thirds of them said they are likely to consume them in the future, with better texture, shorter ingredient lists, and lower calories than animal protein being the major purchase drivers.

Value-Driven Sceptics

Finally, the Value-Driven Sceptics represent the largest share of the addressable market (24%), with this group prioritising taste and price over health, and feeling that buying conventional meat is important to support farmers. They recognise that meat is expensive, but have little reason to stop eating it.

On the flip side, while they aren’t opposed to plant-based alternatives, their interest is low – only 29% are likely to consume them in the future. These consumers are most likely to eat vegan meat only if no other option is available, though they may be more attracted if these products are more affordable and tastier.

Insights for plant-based meat brands

Across the board, it appears that overprocessing, unsatisfactory flavour, and high prices remain the main purchase barriers of plant-based meat for American adults. On the other hand, those likely to consume these products tend to value their high protein concentration, versatility, and sustainability credentials.

Within the addressable market, 43% of consumers say health is a top benefit they seek from both meat and vegan alternatives, and a third of them believe the latter are better for heart health – a fact confirmed by tons of research, including a recent Harvard study.

Interestingly, 22% would also eat less of a food if they knew it was bad for the environment, highlighting the need for greater education about sustainability. Beef, after all, is the most polluting food on the planet, and animal agriculture alone accounts for 57% of the food system’s emissions.

And while taste and health are important factors, none are as likely to drive people towards a vegan burger as the price, a finding consistent with recent research.

“Some segments express more openness and recognise more benefits than others,” said GFI. “They provide the best near-term opportunity to increase plant-based meat consumption, and targeting them could enable the development of more effective and efficient strategies.”