The Current State of Meat Alternatives

Meat alternatives, including substitutes for chicken and beef, represent just 1% of total meat category sales in the U.S. But this subcategory continues to evolve, and there are pockets of high adoption rates across the country. This report explores the performance of meat alternatives from the past few years and uncovers opportunities for future success.

Highlights: 

• Sales of meat alternatives reached $1.3B in 2020 but have declined for three years. The current $1.1B is still higher than prepandemic dollar sales. 
• Meat alternatives feature a $4.20 price gap above total meats, which might hinder purchases.
• The percentage of households purchasing plant-based meats is declining. But frequent-purchase households spend more per trip and have a higher dollar share across alternative categories. 
• Plant-based meats skew to millennials and Gen X households with higher incomes. 
• Retention of frequent buyers is critical to category success, as heavy buyers represent 75% of dollar sales.