In a post-pandemic world with a shift towards sustainability and health, sometimes, it feels like the chicken isn't chicken. The pork isn't pork. The bacon you're bringing home isn't bacon. And it's part of a much broader trend: the meat isn't actually meat, it's plant-based.
So, a meatless phenomenon, in this regard, may be more about people opting for plant-based meat, instead of meat.
All of the carnivorous satisfaction, none of the guilt.
In India, people who don't eat animal meat and stick to lentils, vegetables and other sources of protein might do so due to the dietary restrictions and laws of widely practiced religions. According to a Pew Research Center survey in 2021, about 80% of Indian adults have some restrictions on meat in their diet. This could be refraining from meat altogether or not eating meat on certain days. Though, only close to 40% of Indian adults are said to identify as "vegetarians".
So, what's leading to a meatless rise?