Meat and plant-based alternatives

Last updated on 8-8-2025 by Laïla Boulbayem

Why do we study dietary patterns of the population?

What we eat and drink has a direct impact on our health and well-being. By studying dietary patterns in the population (What foods are eaten? At what frequency? By whom?), we can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to promote better diets. This knowledge helps address the risk of diet-related diseases and supports the development of healthy, sustainable food systems.
More information on the comparison of the habitual intake of meat with dietary guidelines can be found here.

How do we study the consumption of meat and meat substitutes?

Meat and meat substitute consumption was assessed, overall and for different population groups, using data from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Trained interviewers recorded twice, on two non-consecutive days, all the foods and drinks that participants had consumed on the previous day using a specialised computer program (GloboDiet®).
The mean consumption (in grams/day) of meat and meat substitutes was then calculated using the average consumption, overall and by sub-categories, of meat and meat substitutes over the two recall days of each participant. The top-10 most consumed types of meat and meat substitutes were also derived from the 24-hour recall data. Since mean distributions are skewed, comparisons between population subgroups should be interpreted with caution.
In addition to the 24-hour recalls, participants (or parent in case of children) also completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire: they reported how often they consumed a specific food or food group in the last 12 months. On this page, we present the frequency of frequency of meat and meat substitutes consumption using the following categories: “Never”, “less than once a week”, “1 time per week”, “2-4 times per week”, “5-6 times per week” and “once a day or more”.
The detailed methodology can be found here.

What is included in the group of “meat and meat substitutes”?

On the one hand, the group of meat and meat substitutes– derived from the 24-hour recall data – includes the following sub-categories:
- Beef and veal;
- Pork;
- Other red meat such as mutton, lamb, horse, goat;
- Poultry such as chicken, hen, turkey, duck, goose;
- Meat preparations for warm dishes such as sausages, hamburgers, cordon bleu, schnitzel, bacon;
- Cold meat (i.e. charcuterie) such as salami, pate, ham.
- Meat substitutes such as tempeh, tofu, Quorn, plant-based burgers, plant-based sausages, etc.
On the other hand, data derived from the Food Frequency Questionnaire include:
- Fresh red meat from beef, pork, veal, lamb, horse;
- Fresh poultry such as turkey cut, chicken breast, chicken drumstick;
- Meat preparations for warm dishes such as sausage, hamburger, cordon bleu, schnitzel.

KEY RESULTS

The mean consumption of meat and meat substitutes is 108 g per day

Men consume on average 128 g per day of meat and meat substitutes, compared to 89 g per day for women

29% of the population aged 3 years and older consumes red meat once a week 35% of the population consumes poultry once a week and 37% of the population consumes meat preparations for warm dishes once a week

The mean consumption of meat and plant-based products is 116 g per day among persons with a low education level and 93 g per day among those with a high education level

The most consumed meat products in the population aged 3 years and older are chicken filet, minced meat and sausage