2026
9
US Plant Based Proteins Market Report 2026
2026-07-17T12:01:58+00:00
REP87C56A30_0B36_42D6_856A_300B3602D6F6
3695
194839
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Report
en_GB
The US plant-based protein market has seen a marked decline since its $1.65 billion revenue peak in 2021, with sales projected to fall to an estimated $1.075 billion in 2026.
US
Vegan and Plant-based
simple

US Plant Based Proteins Market Report 2026

"Despite sluggish sales, consumers still view plant-based proteins as healthy additions to their diets. To build back trust, brands need to focus on what consumers gain, not what these products replace."

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

Jack Doggett, Food & Drink Analyst

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for plant-based proteins
    • Opportunities
    • Become a partner in GLP-1 diet shifts
    • Graph 1: past three month purchase of select foods, by GLP-1 status, 2026
    • Mirror the success of functional food and drink
    • Make plant-based proteins an option for struggling consumers
    • Graph 2: past three month purchase of select foods, by financial situation, 2026
  2. THE MARKET

    • Market size and forecast
    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Consumer confidence continues to fall
    • Graph 3: consumer sentiment index, 2021-26
    • Protein is the focus in the new pyramid, but it’s largely meat-based
    • Plant-based meat alternatives continue to fight political battles in the US
    • A reality check for the plant-based protein market
    • Softer declines expected on the horizon
    • Graph 4: total retail sales of plant-based proteins, at current prices, 2021-31
    • Softer declines expected on the horizon
    • Plant-based declines are format agnostic
    • Graph 5: total retail sales and forecast of plant-based proteins, by segment, at current prices, 2021-31
    • Plant-based declines are format agnostic
    • Market share/brand share
    • Declines felt across nearly all plant-based brands
    • Graph 6: MULO+ sales of plant-based proteins, by leading companies, 2026
    • Declines felt across nearly all plant-based brands
    • Frozen meat substitute sales continue to chill
    • Graph 7: MULO+ sales of frozen meat substitutes, by leading companies and brands, 2026
    • Frozen meat substitute sales continue to chill
    • Refrigerated meat substitutes face more volatile declines
    • Graph 8: MULO+ sales of refrigerated meat substitutes, by leading companies and brands, 2026
    • Refrigerated meat substitutes face more volatile declines
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Why people choose plant-based proteins now
    • What plant-based proteins are doing well
    • Relatively flat consumption spells low frequency
    • Graph 9: past three month purchase of select foods, 2024-26
    • Personal, pre-planned meals are where plant-based proteins live
    • Graph 10: reasons/occasions for consumption of select food types, 2026
    • Gen Z are leading the way
    • Graph 11: past three month purchase of select foods, Gen Z, 2024-26
    • Away from the “we”, towards the “me”
    • Graph 12: reasons for buying plant-based proteins more often than animal-based, % in top three, 2026
    • Regional attitudes dictate plant-based preferences
    • Graph 13: past three month purchase of select foods, by region, 2026
    • The demand for innovation is not limited to current buyers
    • Graph 14: attitudes about new plant-based options, plant-based protein buyers, 2026
    • Graph 15: attitudes about new plant-based options, plant-based protein non-buyers, 2026
    • Where plant-based proteins can improve
    • The most pertinent plant-based problems
    • Processing pulls plant-based proteins apart
    • Processed, but for the wrong reasons
    • Graph 16: important protein factors, top five, 2026
    • Legumes fulfill the plant-based wish list
    • Graph 17: associations of protein types, 2026
    • Improvements will bring people in
    • Flavor has to be a focus
    • Graph 18: improvements that would increase consumption of plant-based proteins, 2026
    • Nutrition is a good introduction, but taste inspires repeat purchase
    • Graph 19: motivations for repeat purchase of plant-based proteins, 2026
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Meat imitation
    • Impossible sees what’s possible
    • Flavor-led meatless innovations
    • Beyond goes beyond meat, aiming to shift plant-based perceptions
    • Cultivated meat gets a social boost
    • Plant-forward alternatives
    • Actual Veggies delivers on its name
    • Tofu brands level up creativity
    • Tootie’s Tempeh takes aim at tofu
    • White Castle goes from imitation to plant-forward
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope/Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of plant-based proteins, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Average annual household spending on plant-based proteins
    • Total retail sales of plant-based proteins, by channel
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Trended Purchase Metrics
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Correspondence analysis methodology
    • US generation groups

US Plant Based Industry – Trends and Insights

  • The US plant-based protein market has seen a marked decline since its $1.65 billion revenue peak in 2021, with sales projected to fall to an estimated $1.075 billion in 2026.
  • Beneath these shrinking figures, however, lies a significant indicator of latent potential: 79% of US consumers report that a single improvement – such as better taste or simpler ingredients – would make them more likely to purchase plant-based proteins. This gap between slow sales and consumer openness suggests that while the category is struggling, opportunity for reengagement exists with the right changes.
  • Younger consumers are the category’s biggest supporters, leading the way with experimentation but lacking in repeatability.
  • As a whole, the strategies of plant-based protein brands need to shift with the realities of the US population. Even in plant-based proteins, consumers are much more focused on personal, tangible benefits than they are on altruistic values. To regain relevance, plant-based brands can keep an environmental and animal welfare-based ethos, but have to shift core messaging to be about the benefits for the individual consumer.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Purchase of plant-based and other proteins
  • Market size and forecast of plant-based proteins
  • Reasons for purchasing animal/plant-based proteins more often than the other
  • Perceptions of plant-based proteins, within the category and compared to animal-based
  • Improvements to improve the likelihood of a plant-based protein purchase
  • Current strengths and weaknesses of plant-based proteins
  • New plant-based protein innovations

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