By Jessica Scott-Reid
Jessica is a Canadian writer, animal advocate and plant-based food expert. Her work appears regularly in media across Canada and the US.
Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980 have often been called the middle child or forgotten generation, due to being couched between two much larger demographics, the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. But when it comes to influence, both cultural and market, Gen X should not be discounted. There are 7.5 million Gen Xers in Canada, and nearly 65 million in the US. And as they currently make their way towards mid-life, many are altering the way they live and eat, and that includes reducing their intake of animal products.
A 2019 national survey conducted by the International Food Information Council found that Gen Xers are particularly focused on diet, lifestyle, weight-loss and disease prevention. When asked about foods that the demographic deems healthiest, Gen Xers rated fibre (88%), whole grains (80%) and plant-based proteins (76%) as top choices.
Registered dietitian Dr. Pamela Fergusson (a member of Gen X herself) says this is good news for the resilient, albeit aging group. “We Gen X know how to take care of ourselves. We were the latchkey kids, and we can be pretty self-sufficient,” she says. “So now is the time to use those skills to prevent or fight chronic disease like heart disease or diabetes. And one of the best ways to address all of those lifestyle diseases is through increasing your fibre, and fibre only comes from plants.”
Gen Xers also grew up “immersed in diet culture,” Fergusson adds, “and the research shows that weight loss is still a big motivator for this group.” But instead of focusing on the number on the scale, she suggests focusing on eating well “to meet your needs for energy and activity throughout the day, and also decreasing your long term risk of disease.”
“I also have a 14 year-old son for whom I'd like to leave a world that isn't on fire anymore.”
— Joey Savoy
Erin Bueckert, 44, is doing just that. She started transitioning towards a more plant-based diet in her mid-thirties, after being inspired by vegan family members who shared information about the impact of animal agriculture on the planet and on animals. Today she describes herself as “99.9% vegan,” and says she continues to be motivated by both the way she feels, and knowing she is treading a little lighter on the Earth. “When I ate animal products, I just felt this heaviness in my body. Since taking animal products out of my diet, I feel lighter, my body moves easier, I have more energy, and I can work-out harder at the gym,” she says.
Restaurant owner Darin Gentes, 46, says incorporating more plant-based foods into his diet when he can, also makes him feel healthier. "I feel a lot better, less acid reflux, and I definitely lost weight," he says. Gentes was motivated to reduce his intake of animal products after his partner went vegan two years ago. He has found doing so easy, he says, since his restaurant, a Pita Pit franchise, has also started offering more plant-based proteins, such as falafel, black beans and hummus.
For Joey Savoy, 47, it was a desire to reduce his harm upon animals, and to leave a healthy and habitable planet for his son that pushed him to go vegetarian in his early thirties, then vegan in his early forties. “There is way too much suffering in our world. If we can eat without causing death, we should,” he says. “I also have a 14 year-old son for whom I'd like to leave a world that isn't on fire anymore.”
Bueckert recognizes that the food we eat is very much attached to our sense of self, “and asking people to re-think that is hard.” But as a Gen Xer, she made the transition a little easier by making simple swaps within recipes she already knew, “like reducing the amount of ground beef in a recipe and replacing it with a can of beans,” she says. “Then I would remove all the ground beef and replace it all with beans or lentils. Two cans of kidney beans is a great replacement for one pound of ground beef if you are making tacos!”
Bueckert also believes that each person has an opportunity to inspire collective change. “I know little me and my choices as a consumer don't make a big difference, but they do make a small difference, and if more people make the switch then we're getting somewhere,” she says.
“I believe each generation should be setting an example for the younger generations that come after us,” says Savoy. “If we show compassion and empathy towards all living things — not just cats and dogs — they will notice.”