2025 food and drink trends that will impact the alternative protein market

Unlock the future of the alternative protein industry with these six food and drink trends

With 2024 behind us, it’s time to look ahead to what this year will bring. What food, product, and ingredient trends will lead in 2025, and how will these impact the alternative protein sector? 

We’ve scoured through the latest food and beverage trend reports, analyzed ProVeg data (so you don’t have to!), and compiled a list of the trends most likely to influence the plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated food markets.¹ Read on to unlock the future of the alternative protein industry.

Top food trends to watch out for this year

1. Functional and health-oriented foods

Consumers are increasingly interested in how food and drink can help them optimize nutrition and deliver functional health benefits.² With this in mind, they’re taking a more proactive approach to health, using nutrition to address specific challenges or support overall wellbeing. But, while health takes center stage, tasty food is still key.³

Key drivers:

• Growing consumer health awareness: increased focus on the role of diet in preventing and managing health conditions and enhancing overall wellness.
• Advancements in personalized nutrition: wearable technology, AI, and data-driven solutions will enable consumers to make informed dietary choices tailored to their unique needs.
• Rising interest in functional ingredients: demand for foods with protein, vitamins, fiber, probiotics, and other functional ingredients that deliver tangible health benefits.
• Accessibility to health information: widespread use of social media and digital platforms for learning about nutrition and health, empowering consumers to make informed decisions.
• Cultural and generational shifts: younger generations, especially Gen Z, view wellness as a holistic and accessible goal, embracing functional foods and beverages as part of their lifestyle.⁴
• Gut health: increased awareness of gut health^{5 6}and the importance of the microbiome, along with a growing digestive health industry. The global digestive health sector was valued at USD 51.62 billion in 2023, and is expected to expand by a CAGR of 8.3% from 2024 to 2030.⁷
• Weight-loss drugs: the emergence of weight loss drugs, redefining the concept of ‘food as medicine.’⁸
• Pumped up protein: A renewed interest in protein, beyond protein powders and bars.⁹

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Expand functional-product portfolios: develop plant-based and prevision-fermented foods and beverages centered on nutrients such as protein, fiber, and probiotics, addressing diverse short- and long-term health needs, including gut health, the immune system, and energy. Potential products include gut-healthy and fibre-rich snack bars, mood-boosting dairy-free chocolate, and high-protein meat, milk, and yogurt alternatives. Ensure that these products are fortified with key vitamins and minerals (i.e., B12, iron, calcium, B3) and are low in sugar, fat, and salt.
• Enhance existing products: reformulate and fortify your plant-based product line with essential nutrients in order to address common nutritional gaps.
• Personalized solutions: offer tailored plant-based meal kits, protein shakes, and snacks designed for individual health goals, such as muscle recovery, weight management, and improved gut health.
• Fermented ingredients: center products and dishes around ingredients that contain fermented plant-based ingredients such as tempeh, kimchi, or miso, in order to provide functional gut health benefits. 
• Simplify health claims: use clear, evidence-based labeling to highlight functional benefits, such as ‘high in protein’ or ‘supports muscle growth’, making products more approachable for new consumers.
• Develop multi-functional products: create alternative protein products that address multiple health needs. Potential examples include protein bars that boost energy and high-protein yogurts with probiotics for gut health.
• Position around preventative health: promote alternative proteins as part of a proactive health strategy, emphasizing benefits such as reduced cholesterol, improved digestion, and long-term cardiovascular health.^{10 11 12}
• Capitalize on immunity and wellness trends: incorporate immune-supporting ingredients, such as antioxidants or superfoods, into alternative protein products.
• Educate on functional ingredients: use digital content and packaging to educate consumers about the health benefits of plant-based proteins.
• Affordability for mass adoption: focus on creating cost-effective, nutrient-rich options to reach price-sensitive consumers, while maintaining premium quality.
• Innovate in underexplored categories: introduce alternative protein products in functional categories like baked goods, snacks, and beverages, offering differentiated choices with clear health benefits.
• Collaborate with fitness and wellness brands: partner with gyms, nutritionists, and wellness influencers to promote alternative proteins as ideal for fitness enthusiasts and health-focused consumers.

2. Less processed products and wholefoods

There’s a shift towards more ‘natural’ and less processed foods, especially when it comes to plant-based food and beverage products.^{13 14} Consumers are also becoming more discerning about labels and are leaning towards wholefood options.

Key drivers:

• Growing skepticism of ‘ultra-processed’ foods: studies linking ultra-processed foods to health concerns have fuelled demand for alternatives that are less processed and closer to their natural state.
• Regulatory push for label clarity: new guidelines and labeling standards encourage brands to provide clearer, more accurate ingredient information, increasing consumer trust in natural and minimally processed options.
• Health consciousness: a growing emphasis on wellness drives interest in wholefoods, with minimally processed options perceived as healthier and more aligned with ‘natural’ diets.
• Rise of plant-based eating: as plant-based diets become more mainstream, consumers demand products that align with their values of health, simplicity, and sustainability.
• Focus on digestive health: interest in gut-friendly diets favors the consumption of whole, fibre-rich foods over heavily processed alternatives.
• Perceived connection between ‘naturalness’ and sustainability: consumers often equate ‘natural’ with eco-friendly practices, aligning with broader environmental concerns.
• Poor products: consumer dissatisfaction with some processed plant-based products (e.g., some meat-mimics ‘not tasting like real meat’).
• Move to wholefoods: a rising interest in wholefoods and ‘back to basics’ ingredients, especially legumes. For example, in ProVeg’s 2023 Smart Protein survey, 53% of European consumers said that they intended to increase their consumption of legumes.
• Desire for clean labels and recognizable ingredients: concerns about artificial additives, preservatives, and long ingredient lists have led consumers to favor shorter ingredient lists and products that appear ‘cleaner’.¹⁵ Consumers want ingredients they can understand and recognize as ‘natural’.^{16 17}

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Recognizable ingredients: when developing meat alternatives, prioritize simplicity, taste, and affordability, highlighting recognizable ingredients on packaging and health benefits. 
• Develop wholefood-inspired products: innovate products using minimally processed, nutrient-dense ingredients such as legumes, nuts, seeds, and wholegrains, appealing to health-conscious consumers.
• Focus on transparency: share detailed information about sourcing, production processes, and ingredient origins in order to reassure consumers about the natural quality of your products.
• Simplify ingredient lists: highlight ‘clean-label’ formulations with fewer, recognizable ingredients as a way to build trust and cater to label-savvy shoppers.
• Plant-forward products: move beyond mimicking meat to creating unique, plant-forward products that celebrate the natural flavors and textures of whole plant ingredients. For example, Beyond has just released a new line of Sun Sausages, which focuses on wholefood ingredients.
• Less processed proteins: shift from protein isolates to less processed concentrates in order to appeal to consumers seeking cleaner labels (these have a lower protein density, but may provide a better story because they are less processed). 
• Collaborate with farmers and producers: partner with sustainable agriculture initiatives to source high-quality, minimally processed ingredients, enhancing brand credibility and aligning with the ‘natural’ trend.
• Educate consumers on alternative proteins: use storytelling and educational content to explain how alternative proteins can be nutritious and minimally processed, dispelling myths around so-called ‘overly engineered’ plant-based and precision-fermented products.

3. Innovative ingredients and plant-based aquatic foods

As consumers search for healthier and more sustainable foods, innovative ingredients will take center stage. Plant-based aquatic ingredients are set to lead this trend, with seaweed, sea moss, and duckweed standing out due to their high iron, magnesium, and fiber content, and sustainable sourcing.¹⁸ Linked to this is the desire for more excitement from food and drink – with consumers searching for weird and unexpected flavors¹⁹ – and finding it in ingredients like seaweed.

Key drivers:

• Health-conscious consumer behavior: growing awareness about nutrient-dense ingredients such as seaweed and duckweed, which are rich in iron, magnesium, and fiber, among health-focused shoppers.
• Demand for sustainable foods: increasing prioritization of sustainable sourcing drives interest in aquatic plant-based ingredients, which have a low environmental footprint.
• Social media: the growing popularity of seaweed and sea moss on social media channels.
• Consumer desire for culinary excitement: a search for novelty in food and beverages inspires curiosity about ‘weird and unexpected’ flavors, making unconventional ingredients like seaweed and sea moss more attractive.
• Flexitarian and plant-based diet adoption: the growing number of flexitarians and plant-based eaters creates demand for innovative ingredients that add variety and nutritional value to meat-free diets.
• Appeal of superfoods: the ‘superfood’ narrative around nutrient-rich ingredients like seaweed and duckweed captures consumer interest and reinforces their health halo.
• Visual and sensory appeal: unusual textures, vibrant colors, and unique flavor profiles make aquatic ingredients stand out in social-media-driven food culture.

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Innovate with aquatic ingredients: incorporate nutrient-dense aquatic plants like seaweed, duckweed, and sea moss into product formulations and food-service offerings in order to enhance nutritional profiles while aligning with sustainability goals. Focus on whitespaces that are ripe for innovation by creating tasty plant-based snacks, ready-meals, and meal-toppers.
• Offer unique flavor experiences: use the ‘weird and unexpected’ flavor profiles of aquatic ingredients to craft exciting, differentiated products that stand out in the alternative protein sector.
• Spotlight health benefits: highlight ingredients and their high nutrient content or health benefits on product packaging to attract consumers.
• Highlight sustainability credentials: emphasize the low environmental impact of aquatic ingredients in marketing materials in order to appeal to consumers seeking sustainable options.
• Create regional or cultural connections: draw inspiration from traditional cuisines that feature aquatic ingredients to create authentic, culturally inspired plant-based products with global appeal.
• Enhance social media: leverage the visual and sensory allure of aquatic ingredients in social media marketing to attract the attention of younger, trend-savvy consumers.

4. Sustainability, traceability, and food tech

The sustainability trend is set to intensify in 2025, with consumers placing greater value on eco-friendly food and drink production and demanding transparent sourcing. This heightened awareness²⁰ will drive acceptance of innovative production methods and a stronger focus on traceability, addressing concerns around both food safety and environmental impact. 

As climate change and geopolitical events increasingly affect supply chains²¹ and influence meal choices, consumers will become more open to adaptations from food and beverage companies, including the use of alternative ingredients and advanced technologies.

Key drivers:

• Environmental awareness: increasing consumer recognition of the environmental impact of food production on the planet and the need for climate-resilient practices. 
• Demand for transparency: rising expectations for clear, traceable information about sourcing and production processes in order to ensure food safety, ethical practices, and environmental accountability.
• Adoption of sustainable products: consumers are increasingly willing to adopt products and methods that reduce environmental impact, driven by ecological concerns and a desire to support sustainability.
• Supply chain disruptions: global food-supply chain challenges, driven by climate change and geopolitical events, will prompt greater consumer acceptance of alternative ingredients and innovative food origins, both locally and globally.²² With this, there will be gradual consumer acceptance of foods produced by technology,²³ provided that consumer benefits such as taste, nutrition, and supply-chain consistency are prioritized.
• Impact of climate change and geopolitics: heightened awareness of how climate change and global events impact food-supply chains, leading to increased consumer interest in understanding production processes and food origins.
• Advancements in food tech: progress in technologies such as upcycling, alternative proteins, and precision fermentation is aligning with sustainability goals and gaining consumer interest.
• Traceability innovation: growing use of technology to trace food origins from farm to plate, addressing safety, environmental, and ethical concerns.

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Focus on zero-waste, upcycled, and alternative ingredients: emphasize sustainability by creating delicious products using upcycled and alternative ingredients (e.g., spent grains, citrus peels, sustainable proteins) and climate-resistant crops; focus on low-waste, seasonal, and local menus to appeal to mindful consumers. 
• Leverage storytelling: use compelling narratives to connect with caring consumers. 
• Prepare for supply chain disruptions: offer solutions that maintain high-quality standards despite environmental challenges. Integrate advanced food technologies in order to ensure the continuous production of delicious and sustainable products.
• Be transparent: clearly communicate changes such as reformulations, use of alternative ingredients, and adjustments in production methods. Utilize social media and other platforms to explain how these changes benefit both consumers and the environment.
• Diversify sourcing: explore alternative growing/sourcing regions to mitigate supply chain risks, emphasizing the unique flavor variations and reliability offered by diversified sourcing.
• Address consumer concerns about technology: recognize the emotive nature of food and provide reassurance about new food technology, explaining how technological advancements enhance taste, nutrition, and texture while supporting sustainability. Use educational storytelling about tech advancements to build trust and support adoption.
• Build trust: position your brand as a credible agricultural innovator and educator. Demonstrate transparency and reliability as a way to earn consumer confidence.
• Prioritize consumer benefits: focus on tangible consumer advantages such as improved taste, nutrition, and accessibility in order to ensure acceptance of technological advancements.
• Share success stories: highlight achievements in sustainability and innovation through direct-to-consumer channels, thus creating a positive narrative around your brand.
• Engage in collaboration: partner with local farmers, tech innovators, and sustainability-focused organizations to foster trust and ensure a consistent supply of ethical and innovative products.
• Promote traceability through technology: utilize blockchain and other tracking systems to provide consumers with end-to-end visibility of the food journey, building trust in sourcing and safety.
• Highlight the environmental benefits of innovations: showcase how your initiatives contribute to climate resilience, reduced waste, and sustainability, thereby reinforcing your brand’s commitment to the planet.

5. Cultural fusion and tradition reinvented

This trend reimagines traditional cuisines through innovation and blends global influences while honoring authenticity and heritage. It reflects the rise of international and fusion snacks,^{24 25} introducing consumers to diverse cultures. Flavor is at the forefront of products and dishes, with storytelling leveraged to connect consumers to new experiences. All in all, new food and beverage products are innovated from a traditional foundation.

Key drivers:

• Increased accessibility to global flavors: the rise of international travel, digital media, and multicultural communities exposes consumers to diverse cuisines,²⁶ elevating the demand for authentic yet innovative food products.
• Cultural exploration through food: growing consumer curiosity about global cultures and cuisines drives interest in traditional dishes with a modern twist, particularly among younger demographics seeking unique and diverse flavors.
• Demand for experiential eating: consumers increasingly view food as an opportunity for storytelling and connection, valuing products that offer a sense of adventure and cultural authenticity.
• Blending heritage with innovation: the fusion of traditional recipes and contemporary techniques appeals to consumers who desire familiarity alongside novelty.
• Desire for authentic flavors: shoppers prioritize genuine ingredients and traditional preparation methods. Even in reimagined and modernized dishes, a sense of authenticity remains a key selling point.
• Sustainability and local ingredients: Consumers value products that integrate locally sourced ingredients into global recipes, thus enhancing sustainability while maintaining cultural authenticity.

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Cultural storytelling: position products as part of authentic global recipes, connecting with broad audiences and emphasizing how a plant-based approach can recreate traditional dishes while aligning with modern dietary values. For example, feature product stories on packaging – these should be used to explain the cultural roots of the product’s ingredients or recipe.
• Innovate traditional dishes: develop plant-based versions of globally recognized classics (e.g., dumplings, kebabs, curries) in order to attract consumers who value heritage while embracing innovation.
• Fusion of tradition and modernity: create fusion snacks or meals that incorporate alternative proteins alongside flavors from multiple cultural cuisines, appealing to adventurous eaters.
• Leverage local ingredients: highlight the use of locally sourced ingredients to strengthen sustainability and authenticity.
• Convenient global snacking: develop globally inspired snacks that cater to on-the-go lifestyles while retaining cultural authenticity. Think savory products like garam masala roasted chickpeas and quinoa puffs, miso-flavoured snack bars, soya-meat samosas, or dried seaweed crisps seasoned with paprika.

6. Everyday indulgence

Opinions about indulgence are shifting, and consumers are looking for everyday, convenient, and affordable pleasures – ‘little luxuries’ to see them through.²⁷ There’s less guilt around indulging and more focus on self-love through good food – be it sweet or savoury. 

Key drivers:

• Shifting ideas of indulgence: consumers increasingly see indulgence as self-care rather than as a bad thing; they prioritize everyday moments of pleasure without guilt.
• Desire for affordable luxuries: economic pressures drive consumers to seek small, cost-effective treats as a way to enjoy life without overspending.
• Convenience as a priority: busy lifestyles fuel demand for indulgent food and beverage options that are quick and easy to access or prepare, and can be integrated seamlessly into daily routines.
• Emphasis on emotional wellbeing: rising awareness of mental health encourages consumers to enjoy delicious foods as part of their wellness routines.
• Balanced approach to health: consumers are embracing a balanced lifestyle where occasional indulgence coexists with healthy eating habits, reducing the stigma associated with treats.
• Premiumisation trends: increased demand for high-quality ingredients and artisanal production methods elevates everyday indulgence into a more refined experience.
• Cultural shifts in guilt-free indulgence: a move away from guilt-driven marketing messages towards narratives of self-reward and self-appreciation is transforming how indulgence is perceived.
• Cross-category appeal: everyday indulgence expands beyond desserts and snacks to include savory foods, beverages, and even meal kits that offer a touch of luxury.

Opportunities for the alternative protein industry: 

• Create indulgent plant-based versions of comfort foods: develop alternative protein products that replicate the indulgent qualities of classic comfort foods (e.g., decadent dairy-free ice cream in single-serve portion sizes).
• Highlight premium ingredients: incorporate high-quality, sustainable, and premium ingredients (e.g., artisanal spices) as a way to elevate perceptions around alternative protein products. 
• Focus on flavor innovation: introduce bold, unique, or nostalgic flavors that evoke indulgence, such as salted caramel, smoky BBQ, or international fusion tastes.
• Create snackable offerings: develop small, portion-controlled plant-based snacks or treats for convenient indulgence.
• Leverage emotional messaging: market plant-based treats as moments of self-care, aligning with consumer values around mental wellbeing.
• Enhance visual appeal: focus on aesthetics, with vibrant, appealing packaging and visually striking product presentations in order to tap into the social-media-driven foodie culture.
• Bridge indulgence and health: offer plant-based products that balance indulgence with health and wellness, such as decadent yet low-sugar desserts or savory treats fortified with essential nutrients.
• Diversify across meal occasions: expand indulgent offerings beyond snacks and desserts to include breakfast (e.g., spongy plant-based pancakes), lunch (e.g., creamy soups), and dinner (e.g., gourmet plant-based pizzas).
• Collaborate with premium and artisanal brands: partner with high-end or artisanal food brands to co-create indulgent plant-based options, elevating the category’s status and appeal.
• Position as affordable luxury: produce and market plant-based indulgent products as accessible luxuries that allow consumers to enjoy premium experiences at a reasonable price. Work with ingredient suppliers and supermarkets to keep the price point low.

Keep an eye on trends

The 2025 food and beverage landscape will be defined by an increasing demand for products focussed on health, indulgence, sustainability, and cultural diversity.  These trends reflect evolving consumer values, as well as responses to shifts in global geopolitics and the environment.

So, what can you do to succeed? Keep a close eye on trends as they develop, stay attuned to shifting consumer preferences, balance affordability with premium offerings, and continue investing in technologies that align with environmental and societal priorities. In doing so, you will not only meet current trends but also help to shape the future of food.

For more support on your alternative protein strategy, get in touch with our ProVeg experts at [email protected], and subscribe to our newsletter.

1.  While we will share trends that will impact the general alternative protein market, including products produced through cellular agriculture, opportunities will focus on the plant-based market, since cellular agriculture products are not yet worldwide and have a lengthy to-market process.
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