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.
Most buzz you’ll hear and read about around the rise of plant-based eating today focuses on younger generations, Millennials, and even more so Generation Z, or Gen Z for short. Born between 1997–2012, Gen Z currently spans those who are school-aged to young adults (9-24). They truly are “the future,” and they appear to be taking the task very seriously. Across a variety of surveys focused on the Western world, Gen Z typically takes top spot for eating animal-free.
Concerns for the future of the planet, for the welfare of animals and for their own health, are driving nearly one-fifth of young British people to ditch animal-based foods. In the US, as of 2018 “7.5 percent of Millennials and Gen Z have given up meat,” with younger generations adopting a fully vegan diet at nearly double the rate of older Americans, according to a report published by Statista (and that number is likely higher today).
In Canada, a report commissioned by Elections Canada in early 2021, looking into Gen Z and how they and their interests compare with other Canadians, found both Millennials and Gen Z to be more likely to reduce their meat consumption than older generations. The report describes Gen Zs as “champions for the environmental cause in Canada,” adding “they raise awareness in their personal networks and encourage their family and friends to become active on this issue. Generation Z can thus be seen as a vector of change in Canada; they try to change mentalities and push others to do more to fight climate change.”
Gracen Dickey, 21, describes herself as a vegetarian, “and I limit my dairy as much as possible,” she says. It was after learning about food production in school, in grade six, that she says she decided to take meat off her plate. “We watched movies on how animals were killed and processed for consumption, and it broke my heart,” she says. “We learned about the inhumane ways animals are raised in the meat industry, and that was it for me.”
For other Gen Z’s interested in trying out a plant-based diet, Milne and Lansing both say the best advice is to ditch the “all or nothing” mentality.
For Austin Lansing, 24, it was striving for optimal health that inspired him to try eating meat-free for a month in 2019. He wanted to see how it would make him feel, how difficult it would be, and if he could maintain a healthy weight. “The month flew by and actually turned out to be pretty easy,” he recalls. “I felt really good and I had actually gained some weight, mostly because I was working out much more and was more conscious about my food and making nutritionally dense meals.”
Eventually, after watching the documentaries Earthlings and Dominion, Lansing was inspired to ditch all animal products and go vegan. His main motivation today, he says, is his opposition to unnecessary animal suffering. “The environmental and health benefits are really nice bonuses, too,” he adds.
Kallum Milne, 23, was born and raised pescatarian, meaning his family ate plant-based plus fish, dairy and honey. In his early teens, his mother then made the switch to a vegan home, and while Milne continued to eat some animal products outside the house, he too was inspired by a documentary, Cowspiracy, to go entirely plant-based at 16. “I realized a non-vegan diet and lifestyle clashed with my environmentalism, humanitarianism and my desire to eliminate waste,” he says.
Both Milne and Lansing say that when it comes to dealing with their meat-eating peers, most of them are inquisitive and interested in learning more about plant-based eating. “I have some friends who are genuinely curious and we have long deep conversations about the philosophy behind veganism,” says Lansing.
Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
“Generally new people that I meet will like to ask questions or propose something they have thought of themselves and would like clarity on about veganism,” says Milne.
While Dickey says many of her friends are also vegetarian and thus understanding of her way of eating, dealing with family can be more challenging. “I find that older generations, such as my grandparents, don’t understand,” she explains. “They will make chicken and ask me ‘Why aren’t you eating it?’ I’m like, ‘Because it’s meat!’ They are like ‘It’s just chicken.’ Same thing happens with fish; I have to constantly explain that both are animals and therefore I do not eat them.”
Plant-based Gen Zs can also be leaders in their families. As Lansing notes, “My family has actually significantly reduced their consumption of animal products. Whereas their old meals used to almost always contain animal products as the centre piece, they mostly now only contain small amounts of animal products, if at all. They are very eager to try cooking new and exciting vegan dishes for me and are in complete agreeance with everything I have to say about veganism.” He does understand though that, for some, the transition “after so many years eating a certain way,” can take a bit more time.
For other Gen Zs interested in trying out a plant-based diet, Milne and Lansing both say the best advice is to ditch the “all or nothing” mentality. “While my wish is for everyone to be completely vegan, I recognize that every bit of reduction matters,” says Lansing. “If you feel like veganism is an intimidating prospect, try being vegan once a week, or just slowly opting for vegan substitutes once in a while. Next time you’re at a restaurant try the vegan option,” he says. “Just try and get over this idea that it’s ‘too hard.’”
For Dickey, the advice is a bit bolder: “Take a deep dive into research,” she says. “We vote with our dollars and buying meat from the grocery store is saying that you support the way animals are kept, killed, and the meat industry in general. If you don’t agree with it, then it is your job as a consumer to make a difference.”
It's obvious that Generation Z is already making a difference and it is poised to do more. As they grow up to inherit this struggling planet, they deserve the best future all of us can help bring about based on what we do today.
