what happened to all the vegans?

The vegan boom has evolved. Consumers are widening the table, choosing balance over labels, and embracing real eating without compromise. Plant-forward meals collide with the return of butter and red meat; today's food lovers want choice, authenticity, and connection. For food brands, that means moving beyond trends and creating content that celebrates how people actually eat.

Hello, yes - I’d like to file a missing product report, please!

Because honestly… where have all the vegan products gone?

Just a few years ago, it felt like every second food headline, product launch, or supermarket aisle was shouting “plant-based!”. Meat alternatives were selling out, almond milk was the new black coffee, and vegan influencers ruled the culinary corner of social media.

But fast forward to 2025, and the conversation looks a little different.

Consumers haven’t abandoned their health or the planet, but they have shifted gears. The all-or-nothing “vegan or bust” mindset has mellowed, replaced by something far more balanced, flexible, and realistic.

So, what’s behind the dip in the vegan hype, and what does it mean for food brands and content creators? Let’s dig in and uncover the dirt.

From Veggie Boom to Balanced Plates

If you’d asked anyone in the food industry in 2019, the answer would’ve been that the plant-based trend felt unstoppable. But recent data shows things are… stabilising.

According to Meat & Livestock Australia’s 2025 Community Sentiment Research, trust in the red meat industry has reached record highs, with 67% of Australians saying they’re confident the industry “will do what is right.”

Even more telling, for the first time since the study began, more Australians report eating more red meat than less. Vegetarianism has also dropped to just 4% of the population, and only 2% of Australians now follow a completely meat-free diet.

That’s a pretty big shift from the “meat is cancelled” rhetoric that dominated just a few years ago!

And it’s not just anecdotal. The data shows that while the vegan and plant-based categories are stabilising, traditional food sectors are gaining ground again. Fonterra recently announced a $75 million investment to expand butter production, boosting capacity by up to 50,000 tonnes annually. In other words? Butter is back, baby!

What Consumers Are Really Saying

The short answer? Consumers still care deeply about environmental sustainability, general health, and the quality of their ingredients. But they also care about flavour, comfort, and cultural connection.

A fully vegan diet, while admirable, doesn’t always fit real life. People are embracing the “flexitarian” lifestyle, where plant-forward eating meets the occasional steak, slice of cheese, or creamy cappuccino.

In fact, Mintel’s recent global food trends report calls this “pragmatic eating”, where consumers are balancing what’s good for them, what’s good for the planet, and what actually makes them happy to eat.

That doesn’t mean vegan products are disappearing; they’re just no longer novel. The market has matured, and so have consumers’ expectations. They want delicious, authentic, and creative food, not just labels that tick the “plant-based” box.

The Comeback of Classic Ingredients

If you’ve noticed that butter, milk, and meat are back in the limelight, you’re not imagining things. These categories are experiencing a renaissance, not just as indulgent vices, but as authentic, nostalgic staples.

Consumers are gravitating toward simplicity and provenance: real butter from local farms, grass-fed beef from trusted producers, dairy made “the good old-fashioned way.”

According to MLA, trust in the Australian red meat industry has grown alongside increased transparency around sustainability and animal welfare practices. Consumers are more informed, more conscious, but also more confident that they can enjoy these foods responsibly.

With diets (or trends, depending on who you ask) like the “Carnivore Diet” and “high-protein-in-everything”, customers are steering away from complex ingredient lists to simple yet good-quality ingredients. This shift means that the once “healthy” plant-based options are now being dismissed as preservative-heavy, fake, unhealthy options.

What This Means for Food Brands

So, if you’re a food brand with a foot in the plant-based industry, what do you do with this shift?

Here’s what we’re seeing (and helping brands lean into) at Food Design Studio:

1. Embrace the Middle Ground

The most exciting space in food marketing right now isn’t fully vegan, it’s “plant-forward with purpose.” Consumers love it when brands showcase vegetables, grains, and natural produce in a unique and creative way, but they’re equally open to a classic drizzle of honey, a dollop of butter, or a piece of meat that’s been ethically sourced.

Styling tip: Visually, this means blending earthy, wholesome tones with rich textures and vibrant natural colours. Think lentil salad with creamy feta, or sweet potato fritters paired with a herby yoghurt drizzle.

2. Authenticity > Trendiness

Gone are the days of ultra-styled, too-perfect avocado toasts. What’s winning attention now is real food, the kind that looks delicious and achievable. Consumers crave honesty. Whether you’re showcasing a premium steak, a vegan curry, or a dairy-rich dessert, authenticity in styling and storytelling goes further than perfection.

Brand tip: Show your product’s origin story. The farms, the people, the process. That transparency builds trust, especially when sustainability is still part of the equation.

3. Content that Reflects Real Plates

Remember when “meatless Mondays” were the goal? Now it’s more like “balanced everydays.” Today’s consumers aren’t eating the same thing every day, so your content shouldn’t look that way either. Food brands that adapt across different lifestyles (e.g., high-protein for gym-goers, veggie-packed lunches for families, indulgent desserts for weekends) create deeper brand loyalty.

Styling tip: Diversify your content calendar. A week of posts might include a plant-based bowl on Monday, a buttered pastry on Wednesday, and a vibrant grilled meat dish on Friday. That’s how people actually eat, and that resonates.

So, What’s Next?

The vegan boom hasn’t disappeared, but it sure has evolved.

Consumers aren’t completely turning their backs on plant-based eating. They’re just widening the table. The modern food lover wants choice, the ability to eat consciously, but without compromise.

For food brands, that means moving away from labels and toward connection. Creating content that celebrates real eating, real people, and real stories.

So, whether your next campaign is powered by butter, beans, or a little bit of both, make it something people can feel good about.

And if you’re not sure where to start? Let Food Design Studio help you craft a visual strategy that looks as good as it tastes!