Over the last year, there has been a 104% increase in searches for ‘is a vegan diet healthy‘ in the UK.
As the interest in the topic continues to grow, Middletons Mobility, a mobility company, has revealed some interesting findings surrounding Gen Z and Baby boomers regarding their dietary habits.
The research uncovered some key findings that have revealed that stereotypes surrounding these two generations aren’t always as true as we might think. Studying data surrounding generational views on health, food, holidays, digital, climate change, politics, work, and relationships.
Different generations have different outlooks regarding what being healthy means. Similarly, they also have their perception in terms of how important maintaining a healthy diet is.
Gen Z and boomers often perceive themselves as different in many ways, but are they as different as they think? Research shows many misconceptions surrounding diet and nutrition regarding Gen Z and boomers alike, with more boomers adopting a vegan lifestyle than ever before.
Generations most likely to opt for veganism
While Gen Z may appear to be the more health-conscious generation, the gap between the number of Gen Z vs boomer vegans is slighter than previously thought.
The public perception that most Gen Z is committed vegans may not reflect the data available. While Gen Z is opting for vegan diets at a higher rate than boomers, the gap is just 1%.
Research has revealed that about 3% of Gen Zs followed a vegan diet, compared with 2% of boomers. Regarding a vegetarian diet, 30% of Gen Z said they plan to go without meat, compared with just 5% of Baby boomers.
Reasons for generational Dietary Differences
Research has revealed that 18% of Gen Z respondents agreed that a healthy diet was an important part of their life, whereas just 9% of Baby boomers said the same. Further reinforcing this, nearly a fifth of boomers strongly disagreed that a healthy diet is an important part of their life
Health is one of the key reasons that many people decide to change their diet. In Britain, just over a third of Gen Z’s stated that they believe a meatless diet is better for health. When asked, the level of agreement on this statement declines with each generation, with only 22% of boomers saying the same.
However, a shared reason for opting for a healthier lifestyle for Gen Z and boomers is combatting climate change. In addressing climate change, 36% of boomers would cut out meat and dairy two or three meals a week,compared with a smaller proportion of 34% of 18– 24-year-olds.
