The Great Meat Divide: When Did Americans’ Diets Become So Confusing?

Chances are you know a vegan and probably a vegetarian or two. And you likely also know a few folks who consider bacon a garnish. But a closer look at some relevant data reveals a national divide that goes much deeper than whether you choose to eat meat or not.

A look at the facts

Let’s start by stating the obvious: Most Americans eat meat and animal products … a lot of it.

Per year, the ordinary adult in the U.S. eats:

• 224 pounds of meat
• 280 eggs
• 667 pounds of dairy

So it’s clear that vegans and vegetarians are in the minority, but they do represent as much as 6% of the population. Of course, that’s based on self-reported labels and many who identified as vegetarian also acknowledged that they sometimes eat meat.

As for their motivation, most people who avoid animal products cite environmental and/or animal welfare concerns.

And the chasm widens

There’s a notable dichotomy that emerges when you take a look at two recent trends. On one hand, households that reported abstaining from meat increased from 4.1% to 4.6% between 2005 and 2020. Meanwhile, meat purchases by weight have continued to increase.

This suggests either that there are slightly fewer meat-eaters who are now eating even more meat or many of those self-identified meat-avoiders weren’t being honest.

The share of the U.S. population that abstains from all animal products — milk, eggs, etc. — has also increased, but only to the rate of 1 in 100.

Older people are also statistically more likely to consume meat, which at least partially accounts for the rise in Americans who avoid meat. Those born after 1980 are 50% more likely to avoid meat (and twice as likely to avoid animal products) than their older counterparts.

Chris Agee November 23rd, 2024

Share this story: