Staggering Statistic: Today’s Kids Are Choosing a Surprising New Diet

Eating in America has seen a massive evolution since the Founding Fathers declared us an independent nation.  From grow-it-yourself agriculture before the industrial revolution to the pre-packaged convenience era of the 1950s, our tastes—and habits—have changed dramatically.

And the evolution of our diets shows now signs of slowing. Take millennials, for instance. This generation tends to opt for healthier, more sustainable fast casual restaurants over the bargain burgers their meat-loving Baby Boomer parents preferred.

According to early data, it looks like today’s youth  might be more heavily vegetarian than any generation before. Roughly four percent of those ages eight to 18 already identify themselves as vegetarians. That’s roughly 2 million children, including a half-million vegans. When you compare it to the overall number of vegetarians in the United States—7.3 million people—it’s clear how large of a proportion those 2 million children really are.