Meat is increasingly seen as part of a healthy diet. This statement is reinforced by both the Youth Barometer and the latest opinion poll conducted by Novus on behalf of Swedish Meat.
Values regarding meat as something unsustainable and unhealthy are fading away and calling oneself a vegetarian is no longer particularly trendy among young people. Only 6 percent consider themselves vegetarians, and of those, 35 percent say they still eat meat occasionally. Among young people, there is also a strong health trend, and the quest for good sources of protein gives meat and animal products a natural place in a healthy diet. According to the Youth Barometer, 54 percent distance themselves from the idea that a vegetarian diet would be healthier than an animal-based one, which is an increase of 11 percent since 2021.
In a parallel survey conducted by Novus, the question of dietary habits has also been posed to consumers in general. Here, 30 percent of those who say they eat meat state that meat positively affects their health. Only 9 percent believe it negatively affects health.
– A lot has happened in recent years that makes us see meat as a healthy food, and it is a clear trend in society. Several vegan influencers are coming out as meat eaters and cite their health as the reason for the change. In previous surveys when the vegetarian and vegan trend was bigger, we saw that people rarely stuck to the new dietary regime for longer than six months, but they didn’t talk much about starting to eat meat again. Now meat is no longer shameful. It’s both about being more pragmatic about meat and returning to a relationship with meat that we’ve always had throughout history; meat is part of the diet along with vegetables. But there are also trends affecting us right now, especially related to health. If you want to be trendy, it’s boiled bones for breakfast, and preferably diced liver as a health pill, says Isabel Moretti, CEO of Swedish Meat.
In both surveys the respondents find it important to protect Swedish agriculture (85 percent) and that Sweden should be self-sufficient in food (61 percent).
Read the full press release HERE