Plant-Based Food Trends: Moving Beyond “Plant Bait for Vegans”

A recent Financial Times feature asked whether meat substitutes can move beyond “plant bait for the vegans” and appeal to mainstream eaters. It’s a timely question. In 2025, plant-based food trends are being shaped by flexitarian consumers and health-focused buyers, and not dietary ideology. Global brands are responding with products built around taste, nutrition, and convenience.

A recent Tastewise consumer survey confirms what’s driving growth: health and nutrition are now 5.3x more important to consumers than environmental concerns when choosing plant-based foods. That change is making the category more competitive and more aligned with how people actually eat.

Meat substitutes aim for the mainstream

The Financial Times reported that companies across Europe and the U.S. are rethinking how they produce and market meat substitutes. The article highlighted new strategies in plant-based, fungal, hybrid, and precision-fermented proteins designed to lower environmental impact while meeting consumer expectations for taste and texture.

Ulrich Kern-Hansen, CEO of Organic Plant Protein, explained the new approach: “We are not producing plant bait for the vegans and the vegetarians; they have already found their solutions… that’s what we’re aiming for.”

These new products are designed not to replace meat entirely, but to make reduced-meat eating easier for more people. Whether through mushroom blends, fermentation-based dairy, or meat-plant hybrids, the goal is to scale without sacrificing the eating experience.

The rise of hybrid formats

One of the biggest plant-based food trends in 2025? Combining plants and meat. Not as a compromise, but as a new category.

Brands like Perdue and Better Meat Co. now blend meat with mushrooms or soy to create better texture, fewer calories, and a lighter environmental impact. These hybrid products appeal to the majority of consumers who don’t want to give up meat entirely but are open to reducing it.

Tastewise data shows that flexitarians are driving demand in this space. Recipes and menu mentions for blended burgers, chicken-mushroom nuggets (+20% YOY), and half-veggie sausages have increased steadily over the last 12 months.

Regional formats are shaping plant-based success

Plant-based isn’t one-size-fits-all. That’s clearer than ever in the way local ingredients are reshaping global products.

In Mexico, cactus is becoming a base for meat alternatives. In Spain, chickpea cheeses, which have grown 4.2% in social discussions over the past year, and legume-forward snacks are trending. In India, millet-based dairy and pea protein blends are gaining visibility across home cooking and QSR menus.

These formats don’t mimic meat. They celebrate regional culinary traditions. That’s key, because food product innovation is no longer just about replication. It’s about relevance.

Consumers want flavor, not just function

One of the most important findings from the Tastewise survey? Flavor is still a barrier. In fact, 22.7% of consumers say lack of flavor is the number one reason they avoid plant-based foods, more than price or complexity.

And the data matches. Dishes like tofu scramble, vegetable broths, and jackfruit tacos top the list of meals people actually make at home. Heavily engineered items like cauliflower wings or Impossible burgers rank lower.

The takeaway? To win, brands need to create innovative food products that taste good first, plant-based second.

AI is accelerating product development

Companies like NotCo and Climax Foods use AI to match animal-based flavors and textures with plant ingredients. This speeds up R&D, reduces production time, and improves shelf performance.

Tastewise helps teams work even faster. Our platform identifies trending claims, fast-growing ingredients, and popular use cases across menus, recipes, and social. It turns food consumer insights into product briefs, instantly. This is the future of plant-based innovation: fewer silos, more speed, and better market fit.

Clean labels are taking over the plant-based aisle

Consumers are reading ingredient lists, and walking away when they see too many fillers.

There’s a growing push toward whole, recognizable ingredients. Lentils, chickpeas, mushrooms, and root vegetables are performing better than isolates or synthetic blends across both retail and restaurant menus.

Food product innovation teams are now reformulating SKUs to reduce the number of ingredients and avoid overly processed textures. Nutrient-dense, familiar foods are winning space in both packaged goods and fresh offerings.

For marketers, this means rethinking the language. “Plant-based” isn’t enough. What matters now is “nutrient-forward,” simple, and satisfying.

Dining out is going plant-first

Quick-service restaurants are bringing plant-based meals into the mainstream. McDonald’s McPlant, Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, and soy chaap wraps at Indian chains are now standard offerings, not experiments.

Tastewise menu data shows a steady increase in plant-based mentions across global menus, especially in indulgent categories: creamy pastas, stacked burgers, loaded pizzas.

Plant-based dishes are now part of the everyday menu in restaurants. They’re no longer treated as special diet options. Consumers expect them to deliver on taste, portion size, and satisfaction, just like any other dish.

For foodservice teams, this means developing plant-based options that work for the average diner, especially flexitarians. That includes familiar formats, strong flavor profiles, and textures that hold up in real service conditions.

What’s next for plant-based food trends?

Plant-based food trends are expanding beyond the burger. And while brands like Beyond Meat helped kick-start a category, today’s success comes from brands that prioritize speed, clean labels, and market fit.

Tastewise insights show growth in plant-based seafood, mushroom-based formats, and whole-food options. These aren’t just trends, they’re responses to new consumer needs.

Looking ahead, the most successful plant-based food trends will prioritize:

• Hybrid products that bridge the gap for flexitarians.
• Local formats using familiar ingredients.
• Simple, recognizable recipes that don’t rely on synthetic flavors.
• Faster innovation cycles supported by AI and real-time consumer data.

The category is no longer about replacement. It’s about relevance, nutrition, and flavor, at speed. Brands that can move fast, stay close to real consumer behavior, and adapt across regions will win.