The majority of Thais identify as omnivores – a trend that has steadily grown over the years, and the percentages of both carnivores and flexitarians have declined. This indicates a shift toward more-diverse and inclusive diets, blending both animal- and plant-based foods. Health is the key motive for dietary change, while sustainability is secondary; health factors like weight management and digestion now also drive change, surpassing basic nutrition needs.
Plant-based substitutes will thrive as consumers embrace dietary changes, with Substitute Seekers representing a key cohort for brands to target. Soy protein is the ultimate champion among plant protein sources; however, consumers now seek diversity, meaning building a competitive edge for newer sources will be key.
Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects are adapting their dietary preferences, driving a need for convenient food categories such as ready meals and instant foods to adapt.
This Report explores how brands can build a competitive edge for plant-based substitutes, diversify offerings of plant protein sources with winning ingredients, and adapt convenient categories to evolving plant-based diets.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Consumers’ current dietary preferences
- Intentions towards changing dietary preferences
- Motivations for dietary change
- Intended actions to be taken in following a plant-based diet
- Associations with different plant protein sources
- Attitudes towards plant-based diets
Build on substitutes’ competitiveness with veg-forward recipes, offer diversity in plant protein sources, and adapt convenient food categories to evolving diets.
Rashmika Khanijou, Senior Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The outlook for plant-based diet trends in Thailand
- Rise in preventive health and scrutiny of ultra-processed foods drives evolution of plant-based nutrition
- Introducing the Substitute Seekers: plant-based substitutes will thrive
- Graph 1: planned actions in following a plant-based diet, 2024
- Leverage global trends to drive trial of new plant proteins among sustainability- and adventure-driven consumers
- Introducing the Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects: become an avenue for plant-powered convenience
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KEY TRENDS
- What you need to know
- Rise in preventive health and scrutiny of ultra-processed foods
- Thailand is one of the Top 20 Twilight markets
- Thai consumers are embracing ageing, driving preventive care
- Social media conversations around ‘healthy ageing’ peaked in the past year
- Processing will factor into food & drink decisions
- Whole food intake and natural ingredients are coming to the fore for Thais
- Graph 2: factors most important when shopping for food*, 2024
- The plant-based market thrived during COVID-19, but is now in decline
- Graph 3: share of plant-based substitute products in food & drink, 2014-24
- Surging waves of innovation in plant-based products
- Graph 4: share of product launches in the plant-based substitute market, 2014-24
- Global brands are trying to reduce their ultra-processed image by including ‘whole’ ingredient synergies
- Plant protein synergies are on the rise to offer complete protein
- Weight management becomes the new essential
- Nutrition and plant-based foods shine in the realm of weight management
- Graph 5: actions taken and intended to take in order to improve weight/body status, 2024
- 2025 Global Food & Drink Trend: Fundamentally Nutritious
- 360 weight management: Thai brands are innovating with plant protein synergy alongside probiotics and satiety positioning
- Eco-awakening: rise in sustainable consumers
- Alongside health and finances, climate change is becoming a prominent worry for Thais
- Graph 6: biggest concerns in the past six months, 2023
- Global brands innovate with sustainable plant ingredients across categories: the world’s first yogurt made from fungi
- Global brands are diversifying into climate-resilient crops in tasty and familiar formats
- Ethics influence food & drink choices
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What you need to know
- The changing dietary landscape of Thai consumers signals a growing omnivorous market
- Graph 7: dietary preferences, 2021-24
- Half of Thais aim to reduce their consumption of animal-based foods
- Meat reduction leads dietary shifts, while Gen Zs increasingly prioritise cutting down on dairy
- Graph 8: select diet change plans, by generation, 2024
- Health is the key motivator for dietary change, while sustainability is secondary
- Graph 9: reasons for planning diet changes, 2024
- Develop plant-based substitutes’ competitiveness
- Plant-based substitutes will thrive as consumers embrace dietary changes
- Graph 10: actions consumers will take if they were to follow a plant-based diet, 2024
- Introducing Substitute Seekers
- Graph 11: consumers who would eat more plant-based substitutes if they were to follow a plant-based diet, by age and gender, 2024
- Substitute Seekers choose plant-based foods for better digestion and disease prevention
- Graph 12: reasons for planning a dietary change, Plant-based Substitute Seekers vs non-Seekers, 2024
- High focus on digestive claims in dairy substitutes, with limited use in meat substitutes
- Graph 13: share of launches with digestive functional health claims, by category, 2021-24
- Innovate meat substitutes with low-FODMAP recipes to promote digestibility
- Demonstrate nutritional competitiveness with gut-friendly ingredients
- Perception gap: Substitute Seekers embrace plant-based substitutes, but see a gap in nutrition quality compared to whole foods
- Graph 14: agreement that consuming whole plant foods (eg vegetables, legumes) provides better nutrition quality than plant-based substitutes (eg meat substitutes, milk substitutes), Substitute Seekers vs non-Seekers, 2024
- Embrace a vegetable-forward approach and celebrate the natural goodness of plants, rather than mimicking meat
- Focus on the goodness of plants
- A complex matter for Substitute Seekers: the processing of substitutes
- Beyond Meat emphasises transparency with simplified ingredient list in its launch of Beyond IV
- Plant-based substitutes represent a luxurious market: drive accessibility and affordability to build a competitive edge
- Graph 15: agreement that plant-based substitutes are still too expensive for regular consumption, Substitute Seekers vs non-Seekers, 2024
- Affordable nutrition: make plant nutrition more accessible to Thais
- Substitutes’ taste and texture still fall short for Substitute Seekers
- Graph 16: agreement that the taste/texture of available meat substitutes is still not very good, Substitute Seekers vs non-Seekers
- Innovators plan to win over consumers with ingredients that mimic meat’s sensory qualities
- Use AI to create formulations for enhanced texture and taste
- Go beyond soy: explore newer plant protein sources to offer dietary diversity
- Soy protein is the ultimate champion
- Graph 17: attribute association of plant protein sources, 2024
- The market calls for diversity, with opportunities to move beyond soy
- As the market diversifies, soy protein remains essential for older Thais
- Graph 18: intended actions when following a plant-based diet, by generation, 2024
- Curious minds: evolving knowledge on plant-based nutrition and sustainable sources pave the way for novel protein sources
- Food & drink in Thailand expand around plant-based protein options
- Graph 19: top 10 plant protein sources, by sub-category, 2021-24
- Leverage global trends to drive trial of new plant proteins among sustainability- and adventure-driven consumers
- Graph 20: interest in trying nutritious plant protein sources (eg fungi) that are trending in other regions, by motivations for dietary change, 2024
- Pea, chickpea, nut, spirulina and sunflower are trending in the global alternative proteins market
- A nutty situation: nut protein shines, but falls short of stardom
- Graph 21: attributes association of plant protein sources, 2024
- A nutty situation: nut protein shines, but falls short of stardom
- Enhance nut protein’s digestibility through soaking, and highlight its superior nutritional benefits
- Enhanced digestibility of nut protein: hydrolysis
- Pea protein is severely underrated in Thailand
- Graph 22: attribute association of plant protein sources, 2024
- Pea protein is severely underrated in Thailand
- Building the case: the health and sustainability value of pea protein
- Pea protein is beginning to make its way into select Thai food & drink categories, though its presence remains limited
- Graph 23: top 10 plant protein sources, by sub-category, 2021-24
- Utilise pea protein in meat and milk substitutes, and exemplify its competitiveness
- Educate how pea protein is superior to other protein sources in terms of nutrition and sustainability
- The Thai market is ready for pea protein in the pursuit of weight management
- Alternative products with different bases can include pea protein for enhanced digestibility
- Algae protein: the potential next star ingredient
- Graph 24: attribute association of plant protein sources, 2024
- Algae protein: the potential next star ingredient
- Is the Thai market ready for spirulina protein?
- Spirulina protein is a versatile algae protein source that can be leveraged for its benefits across categories
- Building the case for seafood with algae protein
- Innovate seafood substitutes with novel winning plant protein synergies: pea and algae protein
- Futuristic concept: pea and algae protein synergise to enter new categories for enhancing nutritional, digestibility and sustainability value
- Align convenient food options with the growing demand for plant-based meal options
- Introducing the Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects
- Launch more plant-based ready meals and instant foods to meet rising demand for convenient plant-based options
- Graph 25: share of launches with a plant-based claim, by sub-category, 2021-24
- Meet the nutritional needs of Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects with high-protein, high-fibre ready meals
- Graph 26: features perceived as good value when choosing ready meals, Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects vs total, 2024
- Launch a range of plant-based meals focused on high protein and fibre to meet daily nutritional needs
- Provide plant-based meal options rich in protein and fibre to meet market demand for weight management
- Become an avenue for plant-powered convenience
- Graph 27: planned actions when following a plant-based diet, Plant-based Convenient Food Prospect vs total, 2024
- Offer plant-based choices with added fortification for enhanced value
- Adapt high-protein bases in instant foods to evolving plant-based diets among Plant-based Convenient Food Prospects
- Graph 28: premium claims/features in instant foods, Plant-based Convenient Food Prospect vs total, 2024
- Noodles crafted from spinach
- Noodles from oats, lentils and brown rice show their nutrition superiority, and position for satiety
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research methodology
- Social data research methodology
- Ingredientscape AI methodology
- Consumer research questions
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