1 in 5 Americans is open to giving up meat if the plant-based alternative tastes right
Using this data story? Please reference the source using one of the formats below.
Conjointly. (2026, May). 1 in 5 Americans is open to giving up meat if the plant-based alternative tastes right. https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/plant-based-alternative/. Retrieved .
Conjointly. "1 in 5 Americans is open to giving up meat if the plant-based alternative tastes right." Brand Tracker by Conjointly, May 2026, https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/plant-based-alternative/. Accessed .
Conjointly. "1 in 5 Americans is open to giving up meat if the plant-based alternative tastes right." Brand Tracker by Conjointly. May 2026. https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/plant-based-alternative/. Accessed .
1 in 5 Americans would ditch meat for a perfect plant-based alternative if it tastes right.
That’s the signal from the April 2026 Brand Tracker by Conjointly, surveying 1,436 American adults. And among younger consumers, it’s closer to 1 in 3. For brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Eat Just, that’s a sizeable addressable market, tens of millions of people who have already crossed the psychological barrier.
Price is the unlock. 56% of open switchers need price parity or better. The 21% are already sold on flavour. Close the price gap and the market expands significantly. The ceiling is higher than the headline number suggests. Win on price, and that 1 in 5 could become 1 in 3.
Survey
US · April 2026 · N = 1,436
Openness to switching entirely to plant-based meat
Question 1: Would you give up meat entirely if a plant-based alternative tasted 100% identical?
21% of Americans are open to switching to a plant-based alternative.
Results by segment
Bar shows % open to switch split by "switch over time" and "switch completely". Line marks the overall average (21%).
Gender
Age
- 21% are open to switching to a plant-based alternative on average, but more than half are not open to switching at all.
- Gender makes little difference — women and men are equally open to switching (21% vs 21%).
- Under-30s are nearly twice as open as over-55s (31% vs 16%).
Price sensitivity among open switchers
Question 2: If a plant-based alternative tasted 100% identical to meat, what would your price expectation be to switch?
56% of switchers need the price to be the same or lower.
Results by segment
Bar shows % willing to pay more. Line marks the overall average (23%).
Gender
Age
- Of those open to switching, 56% still need the price to be the same or cheaper. Only 23% would pay any premium. Taste parity is necessary, but not sufficient.
- Male switchers are more willing to pay a premium than female switchers (28% vs 18%).
- Under-30s are significantly more willing to pay a premium (29% vs 16% for over-55s).
