What the New GFI Report Means for Plant-Based Brands

Edited by The VEGPRENEUR Team

A new 2025 Good Food Institute report explores how U.S. consumers think about health and nutrition in relation to plant-based meat, and how those perceptions translate into real purchasing behavior.

The findings confirm that health plays a powerful but nuanced role in plant-based adoption. While taste and price remain non-negotiable entry points, health is one of the strongest reasons consumers choose plant-based meat over conventional options—especially among existing buyers.

Health Drives Spending, Not Just Intent

Consumers who prioritize health do not just express better intentions; their spending patterns reflect it. Plant-based meat buyers who view health as a top priority spend more on plant-based meat and less on traditionally unhealthy food categories. Importantly, consumers who believe plant-based meat is genuinely healthy purchase it more frequently and spend more overall.

However, health is rarely the sole decision factor. Consumers constantly balance health with taste, price, convenience, and social context. Most do not aim for perfection, but rather for balance across meals and occasions.

Plant-Based Meat Is Seen as “Somewhat Healthy”

Most consumers rate plant-based meat as somewhat healthy rather than very healthy. Strong associations include high protein, low cholesterol, lower saturated fat, and the absence of hormones or antibiotics.

Perceptions vary by category. Plant-based beef is generally seen as healthier than conventional beef, while plant-based chicken often underperforms compared to conventional chicken, which many consumers already view as a health-forward option.

Ingredient Simplicity and Processing Perceptions Matter
Consumers heavily rely on ingredient lists and nutrition labels to assess health. Shorter ingredient lists strongly correlate with better health perceptions, with around ten ingredients appearing to be a key psychological threshold.

While many consumers claim to avoid processed foods, this does not meaningfully reduce plant-based meat purchasing. Instead, familiarity and transparency around ingredients matter more than processing itself.

Sodium Is the Biggest Nutritional Barrier

Sodium stands out as the largest perceived health gap in plant-based meat. Many consumers cite high sodium as a reason they do not buy more, even though they often overlook the sodium added during cooking of conventional meat.

Protein represents a perception gap rather than a formulation issue. Most plant-based meats already meet or exceed protein expectations, but consumers still assume animal meat contains more protein.

Fiber is an underleveraged opportunity. Gut health ranks high among consumer health priorities, yet fiber is not commonly expected from meat. Clear education and messaging could help plant-based meat win on this dimension.

What This Means for Plant-Based Brands

Improving health perceptions is most impactful for current buyers, who already consume plant-based meat multiple times per month. Small gains in perceived health can unlock significantly higher repeat purchases.

For non-buyers, taste and price improvements remain essential before health benefits influence trial. Once those barriers are addressed, health becomes a meaningful motivator.

Health expectations differ by product type. Plant-based beef can lean into fat, cholesterol, and hormone-free advantages, while plant-based chicken must outperform conventional chicken on additional dimensions such as fiber or ingredient simplicity.

Ingredient transparency, clear nutrition communication, and packaging that signals freshness and quality are increasingly powerful tools.

Bottom Line

Health remains one of the strongest long-term drivers of plant-based adoption, but only when it is credible, specific, and aligned with how consumers evaluate meat. Brands that choose a clear health positioning, design for it intentionally, and communicate it simply will be best positioned to win as taste and price gaps continue to close.