Dutch choose to eat meat more often

the percentage of Dutch people who consciously choose not to eat meat or fish at least a few days a week has declined from 40% in 2022 to 32% in 2023. Moreover, the acceptance of meat substitutes has declined over the past year and the number of people who consider themselves vegetarian is decreasing. That's according to Motivaction's annual poll in May 2023.

But that is not the only noteworthy aspect of the survey. The push for a healthier lifestyle has regained momentum after a year of relative nonchalance during the 2022 corona-free year. At the same time, the data point to a growing problem: More than half of the adult population in the Netherlands is overweight, a percentage that has only increased since the early 1990s.

On top of these developments comes the urgency to cut back on food spending due to declining purchasing power and rising food prices. By 2023, more than three in 10 households chose to cut back on their food spending, with more than six in 10 paying more attention to prices when choosing their foods. Although forecasts from McKinsey suggest that this "food inflation" will decrease significantly in the second half of this year, many consumers look to the future with a healthy dose of skepticism, especially in light of rising supermarket staff costs.

View the infographic

Motivaction.nl