Food is inherently political. Whether we’re talking about access to food, unsustainable practices, or ‘trending’ diets, food is an indicator of a place’s political circumstances, or a person’s social status. In line with this, over the past decade, veganism has been a measure of the Western world’s political climate. With supermarkets discontinuing their plant-based food lines, and vegan restaurants shutting down, this once-popular diet is swiftly being replaced with whole-food, high-protein diets, which are becoming the newest status symbol.

At its peak of popularity between the years 2019 and 2020, veganism was seen as the height of wellness, with social media spurring its popularity. This followed a spike in concern for the planet as the impacts of climate change were becoming increasingly apparent, with this concern expressing itself through the ‘trendy’ use of paper straws, bamboo toothbrushes, and reusable water bottles. Amongst this, the plant-based diet rose in visibility as an environmentally conscious alternative to the meat industry. This response to the environmental (and thus political) climate of the time was viewed as an inherently liberal act and quickly became a status symbol in Western society. Almost overnight, social media was flooded with influencers flaunting the vegan diet and all of its benefits, both for the environment and for personal health and wellbeing. 

The plant-based diet takes a lot of effort: from the preparation of food to the dedication of sticking to the diet. In this way, veganism became an almost unattainable goal as the majority, with full-time jobs and personal commitments, lacked the time to commit to this symbol of wellness. However, as popularity increased, so did accessibility. Vegan aisles began popping up in supermarkets, cities started seeing exclusively vegan restaurants, and many people felt they were able to commit to this lifestyle change. This is often the case with trends: they gain popularity as a luxury, companies and brands recognise the opportunity to exploit this new fashion, said fashion becomes accessible, and people move on to the next trend. This is the case for veganism: as its accessibility increased, its aspirational glamour diminished. 

Now facing a harsh decline, veganism is seemingly disappearing from the limelight: plant-based foods are becoming harder to find in supermarkets and vegan restaurants are permanently closing their doors. Veganism is evidently losing its audience, with consumer interests shifting to whole-food, high-protein diets. According to The Guardian, this decline in veganism is partly due to the ‘oversimplified discourse about protein and ultra-processed foods.’ Current consumer tastes reflect the popular discourse online, and this has become the new unattainable goal in the food world. This newfound prioritisation of ‘eating clean’ has the same aspirational prestige initially held by veganism: it’s expensive, time-consuming, and aesthetically pleasing to flaunt online. For example, high-quality meats are favoured; however, with the cost-of-living crisis, the frequent eating of these highly priced sources of protein is not sustainable for the majority of people.

A potential reason for this shift is the recent rise in traditional or conservative values, leading to the idealisation of high-protein diets that value optimal personal health rather than environmental or ethical concerns. This is perhaps due to the current political climate: amidst different wars, constant protests, and a general feeling of political unease, people are ditching the idea that their food choices can make a positive impact on the world. Thus, people turn to a more traditional, health-optimal lifestyle rather than following the radical path of veganism.

Overall, diets are continually viewed as strict regimes that cannot be diverted from, with many people struggling to stick to such commitment in their daily lives. But issues like climate change are still very pressing, so vegan influencers are now urging those who are curious about veganism to adopt a ‘part-time’ vegan lifestyle as even small changes will make a difference. Whether people choose to follow a vegan diet or the new high-protein, ‘clean’ diet is up to their individual prerogative and dietary needs: one diet is not inherently superior to another. In spite of this, the general trends are undeniably turning away from the once glamorous and aspirational vegan lifestyle. Veganism’s rise and fall, then, should be taken as a strong testament to the parallelism between lifestyle trends and the cultural and political climate.

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