Eiwitmonitor 2025 : Inzicht in consumptie, determinanten van gedrag en aanbod van de Nederlandse eiwitbalans

The Protein Monitor 2025 shows that the percentage of vegetable proteins in the Dutch diet has stagnated at around 39% plant-based and 61% animal proteins, with no significant shift from 2024. This suggests that the movement towards the goal of a 50:50 ratio in 2030 has temporarily stalled, partly because commonly used protein sources like meat and dairy remain firmly entrenched in our current diet.When we look at behavioural determinants, such as intentions, meat and dairy clearly dominate, while meat and dairy substitutes and hybrid meat are rated most negatively. At the same time, bread, as the main source of plant-based protein, is rated very positively by Dutch consumers (sample of 3,950 adult respondents), while legumes and 'nuts and seeds' score in the middle bracket. This picture applies to all behavioural determinants, such as attitudes, habits, skills and social norms.There are also signs that Dutch citizens are cautiously adopting an increasingly positive attitude towards high-protein plant-based products in 2025. For example, behavioural determinants reveal more positive intentions in 2025 than in 2024 for the consumption of legumes, plant-based dairy substitutes, plant-based meat substitutes, plant-based fish substitutes and tofu, tempeh or seitan. In contrast, the intention to eat animal protein products such as eggs, cheese and dairy decreases in 2025 compared to 2024. Similar patterns are visible for the determinants of behaviour, such as social norms, experienced behavioural control and perceived price. This indicates that acceptance of animal protein products is cautiously declining while acceptance of plant-based alternatives is increasing.The assortment offered in online supermarkets remains heavily animal-oriented. Only 35% of high-protein products are plant-based, and the marketing focus is also largely on high-protein animal products. There is seven times more variety in animal protein options, and these products tend to have the cheapest options and dominate price promotions by 76%. This means that, despite a growing but still limited assortment, plant-based protein products are at a structural disadvantage.Nevertheless, some shifts towards a more plant-based protein assortment are visible, such as a slight decrease in the difference in variety (from nine to seven times more animal-based choices) and a lower average price of plant-based protein products compared to animal products.