What does ‘plant-based’ actually mean? US study finds generational divide

The term 'plant-based' means different things to different US consumers, according to new research finding a substantial divide over whether the description excludes animal products altogether or allows some meat, dairy and eggs.

• A survey of 2,202 US adults found 56% understood a plant-based diet to mean vegan, with all animal products excluded.
• Another 35% interpreted plant-based as a diet rich in plant foods that could still include some meat, dairy and eggs.
• Age influenced interpretation, with 63% of adults aged 65-94 equating plant-based with vegan, compared with 51% of those aged 18-34.

Published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, the study drew on a Morning Consult survey of 2,202 US adults conducted in July 2025.

Overall, 56% of respondents said a plant-based diet meant vegan, while 35% understood it to mean eating abundant plant foods while continuing to consume some animal products. A further 7% did not know what the term meant and 2% provided another answer.

The results suggest 'plant-based' is far from universally understood as a synonym for vegan – and that interpretation varies notably by age.

Among adults aged 65-94, 63% said plant-based meant avoiding all animal products. That fell to 51% among respondents aged 18-34, indicating younger consumers were more likely to understand the term more flexibly.

“The term plant-based has become popular in recent years and its meaning has never been clearly defined,” said Dr Anna Herby, nutrition education specialist at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and study co-author.

PCRM advocates diets that exclude animal products, and the researchers argued that establishing a consistent definition of plant-based could reduce uncertainty for consumers, health professionals and researchers.

“Defining ‘plant-based’ as excluding all animal products could make it easier for consumers to make confident decisions about food products by knowing that the term means there are no animal products,” said study co-author Shannon Menhardt, a registered dietitian with the Barnard Medical Center.

For food manufacturers, however, the findings also illustrate how broadly the term is already being interpreted. More than one-third of respondents understood plant-based as compatible with some animal-derived foods, an interpretation that encompasses flexitarian eating and potentially hybrid products combining plant and animal ingredients.

The findings come as manufacturers continue to explore products aimed at consumers seeking to reduce rather than eliminate their consumption of animal products. In that context, 'plant-based' may increasingly function as a broad dietary descriptor rather than carrying the more precise meaning associated with 'vegan'.

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