Millennials and baby boomers plan to remake traditional holiday dishes plant-based
Tags: Health, Vegan, Wellness, Nutrition, Holidays

Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Eat Just, Inc. reveals how Americans plan to change things up during their holiday meals this year (Photo by Suresh Designer on Unsplash).

The saying is true: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. New research shows 38% of baby boomers feel they’re too old to change their ways.

A poll of 1,000 millennials and 1,000 baby boomers found 81% of millennials are more open to change than their baby boomer counterparts.

And many are trying something new: over half (55%) of all those surveyed said they plan to change things up this year in some way.

Thirty-nine percent of people plan on having smaller celebrations while a further 34% are getting more involved in the meal preparation and cooking this holiday season.

What they’re cooking is changing, too — two-thirds of millennials said they will be remaking traditional holiday meals, plant-based.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Eat Just, Inc., aimed to uncover how different generations feel about change as the holidays approach.

And results discovered even half of baby boomers said they will prepare at least one plant-based version of a holiday dish this year.

Thirty-one percent of all respondents will be planning for a family member eating more plant-based.

But 68% of baby boomers said they prefer to follow traditions, generally — and 39% of baby boomers like to stick close to traditions when it comes to the holidays.

That’s true for holiday mealtime, too. Gathering a variety of different palates and diets around the same table can be challenging — especially for the 42% of baby boomers who said their children eat differently now, compared to when they were young.

When asked about how each generation plans to eat over the holidays, one in five baby boomers said they have absolutely zero plans to eat healthily — compared to 74% of millennials who plan on choosing healthy holiday dishes.

And that is spurring concern for millennials about their parent’s health. Sixty-eight percent of millennials surveyed said their parents’ diet concerns them.

However, 61% of millennials said their parents simply refuse to change their ways — specifically their diets.

“Finding a common ground between millennials and baby boomers can be a challenge,” stated a spokesperson for Eat Just, Inc. “This holiday season, despite the reluctance for parents to adopt healthier lifestyles, millennials will be serving up healthier versions of traditional holiday dishes — in the hopes of bringing everyone together, even if it is virtually.”

From cooking different foods than usual and adding new dishes to the holiday menu to spending the holidays solo and not celebrating with the whole family, this holiday season is going to be different.

Results reveal 44% will be making plant-based versions of traditional dishes to accommodate the varying diets and palates of everyone — with millennials planning on serving up more plant-based dishes than their baby boomer counterparts.

Despite this, 71% of respondents still expect to see certain dishes on the holiday table.

From mashed potatoes (44%) and apple pie (39%) to sweet potatoes (45%) and pecan pie (31%), Americans still want some aspects of traditional holiday meals this year.

“Americans are seeking ways to enjoy their favorite, traditional holiday dishes while maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” added a spokesperson for Eat Just, Inc. “As a result, people will be switching things up with their holiday menus by incorporating more plant-based ingredients into their dishes to accommodate a variety of diets and lifestyles.”

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