Packaged Facts: Coronavirus Changing Eating Habits of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian U.S. Consumers

News provided by

Oct 20, 2020, 10:13 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The majority of U.S. consumers report eating more comfort foods, snacks, and treats because of the coronavirus, reports market research firm Packaged Facts in the newly published study Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian Consumers. Some consumers are eating more healthily and more locally produced foods, while a smaller portion are eating less healthily, less fresh produce, and more processed foods.

"The coronavirus has had an impact on consumer eating habits, with some tending toward less healthy foods, while others are experiencing the opposite and hunkering down with healthier foods," says Jennifer Mapes-Christ, food and beverage publisher for Packaged Facts.

Vegans, who already tend to think they eat a healthy diet, are most likely to report eating even more healthily (and are the least likely to be eating less healthily) due to the pandemic. They are also most likely to be eating more local foods—likely because vegans already place value upon eating local and want to eat even more local foods to support small businesses during the pandemic. Similarly, vegetarians are less likely to be eating more comfort foods but are the most likely group to be eating more processed foods.

In contrast, flexitarians—those who eat meat or poultry but regularly mix up their diet with vegan or vegetarian meals—are the group most likely to be eating more comfort foods and (along with pescatarians) are the most likely to eat more snacks and treats, revealing this group is looking to food for comfort during this tough time.

Omnivores—those who eat meat with most meals or large servings of meat—are overall expressing fewer changes to their diet than those with other eating philosophies.

Beyond these developments, Packaged Facts also found that while all consumers are changing their shopping habits amidst the coronavirus pandemic, these changes are especially prevalent among people who are not omnivores. Vegans, pescatarians, and vegetarians are more likely to be increasing frozen food purchases and use of online ordering for general products and groceries.

About the Report

Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian Consumers can be purchased by visiting: https://www.packagedfacts.com/Vegan-Vegetarian-Flexitarian-Consumers-13656739/.

The report is the go-to source for a complete understanding of the U.S. vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian consumer. This report combines Packaged Facts' extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys, and evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns during the pandemic and across the broader food and beverage market.

Please contact Packaged Facts' Communications Manager Daniel Granderson at [email protected] to request the report executive summary.

About Packaged Facts

Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased at our company website and are also available through MarketResearch.com.

For more essential insights from Packaged Facts be sure to follow us on Twitter (@packaged_facts), LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Media Contact: [email protected]
Report Purchases: [email protected]

SOURCE Packaged Facts