Consumers choose plant-based… when it’s cheaper

Eating less meat has become part of everyday life for many people in the Netherlands. This is shown by the Plant-Based Trend Report 2025-2 from the Vegetariërsbond, based on the Vegamonitor 2025 and the Superlijst Groen 2025. The report outlines how consumers make their choices and what this means for supermarket assortments.

Less meat, large generation gaps remain

A structural reduction in meat consumption is taking place on a broad scale. Currently, 38 percent of people in the Netherlands eat meat no more than four days a week with their main evening meal. Another 5.5 percent do not eat meat at dinner at all. Naturally, there are major differences between age groups. Among those aged 30 to 39, nearly 10 percent eat fully vegetarian. Younger consumers show a different pattern. In that group, 18 percent still eat meat every day. The V-Label is no longer unfamiliar to most consumers: 66 percent recognize the label.

Interest in vegetarian and vegan products has remained stable over the period from 2022 to 2025. At the same time, interest in Fair Trade, local, and organic products is declining. Regional differences are limited. What does stand out is that Albert Heijn customers show more interest in sustainable products than customers of other supermarkets.

Price works, other incentives less so

When consumers are asked what encourages sustainable eating, the answer is clear. Discounts on healthy and sustainable products are seen by 61 percent as the most effective measure. Higher prices for unhealthy or non-sustainable products follow at 31 percent.

Other measures lag behind. In-store tastings are mentioned by 25 percent. National awareness campaigns and information provided by general practitioners and dietitians score even lower. Recipe suggestions in supermarkets are seen as effective by only 14 percent.

Jumbo leads in plant-based offerings

The Superlijst Groen 2025 by QuestionMark shows that supermarkets are individually experimenting with reducing the share of animal proteins. Jumbo has the highest percentage of plant-based promotions. At the same time, more than 80 percent of all protein-rich promotions still consist of animal-based products.

Portion sizes are changing slowly. Since 2021, the share of large meat portions above 100 grams has declined, while smaller portions under 80 grams are becoming more common.

Vegetariers.nl