Why Aren’t We Eating More Plants?

People love to say “plant-based diets are a trend.” But trends fade. This isn’t a trend — it’s a stalled revolution. Despite all the evidence, public interest, and available alternatives, we’re still dragging our feet. And the fault doesn’t lie with individual consumers. It lies with an industry that resists change, a medical system that fails to educate, and a culture clinging to habits over health, justice, and sense.

Let’s break it down.

Most People Want to Change — So Why Aren’t They?

A new study surveying nearly 5,000 adults in the UK and Germany shows a huge portion of the population is actively trying to eat fewer animal-based products. A full 38% plan to eat more plant-based food. 51% want to either reduce their meat and dairy intake, increase their plant intake — or both. These aren’t vegans. They’re just people trying to make better choices.

And yet, most of them aren’t succeeding.

The data shows that despite wanting to eat more plant-based foods, people fall back into old habits. Why? Because meat and dairy are familiar, and everywhere. Plant-based foods, in comparison, are seen as less convenient, harder to cook, and less socially accepted. People say they like the taste of meat and dairy more — if they can honestly tell the difference. 

It’s not about taste. It’s about trust, identity, and access. If you’ve grown up thinking a proper meal includes meat, it takes more than tofu to change your mind.

So here’s the industry’s job: make plant-based food not just available, but normal. Make it feel like everyday food, not an ethical experiment. Until then, even people with good intentions will keep reaching for the same old thing.

“Processed” Plant-Based Food Isn’t the Enemy — Misinformation Is

Now let’s talk about the “processed” myth.

One of the most effective ways people get scared away from plant-based food is through the weaponisation of the word “processed.” As if people aren’t already living on processed animal products — sausages, cheese, chicken nuggets, spam, yoghurt, you name it. No one’s checking how processed their bacon is. But throw the word “processed” at a soy burger, and suddenly it’s Frankenstein food.

A new study out of Finland dismantles this nonsense. It shows that the level of processing in plant-based proteins isn’t the problem — it’s how they’re processed and what nutrients remain. For example, tempeh — a fermented soy product — retains tons of beneficial compounds like isoflavonoids. Meanwhile, soy protein isolates, often found in protein bars or mock meats, contain far less.

So should we write off mock meats? No. Because even when they’re made with concentrates or isolates, they still remove animal products from the food chain — and that alone is a win for health, animals, and the planet. The real issue isn’t whether a food is “processed.” It’s whether it’s nutrient-dense, ethically produced, and free from animal exploitation.

Cooking is processing. Freezing is processing. Making bread is processing. If we want to get real about health, we need to drop the propaganda and look at what we’re actually eating — and who it cost.

Doctors Know Plant-Based Diets Work. So Why Won’t They Say So?

Here’s where things really fall apart: health professionals know plant-based diets are effective. A new US survey shows that half of adults already believe going plant-based can improve their health and reduce disease risk. Two-thirds said they’d consider switching — if they were given the right guidance. And yet, just 1 in 5 primary care providers ever mention it to their patients.

Why?

Because most doctors aren’t trained in nutrition. In the UK, three-quarters of dietitians wrongly think plant-based proteins are “incomplete.” In the US, plant-based nutrition is rarely included in medical education unless students seek it out themselves.

We have a public health system that’s overwhelmed, underfunded, and drowning in chronic disease — and it won’t even tell people about one of the most effective solutions available. Studies continue to show that plant-based diets can lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers. They also lower healthcare costs. So why the silence?

Because money talks, tradition screams, and animals are ignored. It’s easier to push pills and procedures than it is to challenge a lifetime of steak dinners and “drink your milk” conditioning.

What’s Really Holding People Back?

People are surrounded by mixed messages and systemic barriers. According to the GFI Europe report, people want to reduce their animal use, but they're confused. One group is focused on weight loss. Another wants more fibre and protein. Another is just trying to cut back on meat and dairy.

What unites them all is that they’ve been left to figure it out on their own. And surprise — most people don’t have the time, money, or energy to run a private nutrition investigation while juggling bills, family, and a broken food system.

This is where the food industry, health professionals, and policy-makers need to wake up.

If you want people to eat differently, stop treating plants like an exotic option and start building them into everyday systems. Put plant-based meals in schools, hospitals, and offices. Train GPs and nurses. Make healthy, ethical food normal — not niche.

Stop presenting plant-based sausages like sad imitations and start showing them as what they really are: a future without blood.

The Bigger Picture: Health, Climate, and Justice

This isn’t just about consumer trends. This is about survival.

Plant-based diets aren’t just good for individuals — they’re essential for the planet. Study after study confirms that replacing animal products with plant-based foods slashes emissions, land use, and water waste. It's a key solution to climate collapse.

But it’s also about justice.

Every bite of meat, dairy, or eggs comes from a system that views individuals as property. That forcibly breeds, imprisons, mutilates, and kills them. The fact that these products contribute to disease and environmental destruction is the poisoned cherry on top.

So when people want to shift but aren’t supported, it’s not just a public health failure. It’s a failure of ethics, education, and leadership.

What Needs to Happen Now:

Stop lying about “processed” food. Context matters. Nutritional content matters. The label doesn’t tell the whole story.

Train health professionals. If someone’s willing to go plant-based for their health, the least a doctor can do is not sabotage them with outdated nonsense.

Normalise plant-based eating. Not as a diet. Not as a lifestyle. As a default.

Make plant-based food delicious and familiar. Enough with the sad salads and overpriced chickpea patties. Give people food that feels like food.

Use messaging that works. If someone wants to lose weight or build muscle, show them how to do that without contributing to slaughter.

Most people already know the truth: plant-based food is better for them, better for the planet, and doesn’t require killing someone else. But until we dismantle the barriers — confusion, stigma, habit, misinformation, and institutional silence — good intentions will keep dying in the supermarket aisle. The demand is there.

Now where’s the support?