It seems more and more Americans are adding plant-based foods to their diets.
Retail sales of plant-based foods hit a record high in the United States in 2022.
According to a new report by the Plant Based Foods Association, the industry achieved $8 billion in U.S. retail sales last year. That's up 6.6% from 2021 and nearly double the amount from five years ago.
"The industry was primarily composed of six product categories and clocked in at $4.5 billion in annual sales in 2018," the report says. "Since this time, the industry has blossomed and built strong momentum... We now report on 20 plant-based categories."
Plant-based milk is now considered a household staple, clocking an 8.5% growth in 2022 to $2.8 billion in retail sales. According to the report, 40.6% of U.S. households purchase plant-based milk over conventional dairy milk.
The vegan egg category also registered a 14% growth in dollar sales to $45 million with unit sales up by 21%.
Also at the top are dairy-free creamers (24% growth; $645 million), protein powders (14% growth; $341 million), butter (15% growth; $311 million), ready-to-drink beverages (17% growth; $239 million), and bars (13% growth; $202 million).
Plant-based meat also remained stable, bringing in $1.4 billion in sales -- a slight decrease of 1.2% since 2021. According to the report, 17.5% of households purchase plant-based meat and a hefty 62.5% repeat their purchases.
"The variety of standout categories speaks to the expansion of consumer interest in plant-based options for every eating occasion, from post-workout smoothies to morning coffee to indulgent meals," the report says. "The consistent performance of plant-based foods through 2022 demonstrates consumer dedication to choosing foods that align with their values and meet their expectations related to health, sustainability, and social justice."
It's not just the at-home sector that is seeing growth, either.
"Nearly half of America's restaurants have a plant-based option on their menus, with a 62% increase in plant-based menu items over the past ten
years," the report noted. "In response to growing consumer demand for plant-based foods, four times as many operators plan to add plant-based meat to their menus in 2023 than drop it."
According to the report, all of this growth is happening as animal-based foods and total food and beverage unit sales remain virtually flat at 1%. Meantime, the plant-based foods unit growth is up by 23%.
"This trajectory makes it clear that plant-based foods across the store remain the growth engine for the food industry," the report says.
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