For years, the food industry assumed Canada’s protein future would be shaped by a dramatic shift toward veganism and strict plant-based eating. That future never arrived. Instead, Canadians have chosen something far more pragmatic and far more disruptive to the market: Flexibility.

The latest Canadian Food Sentiment Index from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, supported by Caddle, shows a remarkable transformation in dietary behaviour among Canadian adults. Omnivorous diets, meaning consumers with no specific dietary restrictions, fell from 67.6% in fall 2024 to 55% in spring 2026.

CHARLEBOIS: Canadians aren't giving up meat but are now opportunistic eaters Back to video

Based on Canada’s adult population, that represents approximately 2 to 3.5 million fewer adult Canadians identifying as omnivores in less than two years. Meanwhile, flexitarian diets climbed steadily from 4.6% to 9.4%, paleo also expanded significantly.

Vegetarian and vegan diets, despite years of headlines suggesting explosive growth, remained relatively small and mostly stagnant. In fact, at 2.6% of respondents in spring 2026, the data suggests that roughly 600,000 adult Canadians identify as vegan today. That figure has barely moved over the last several survey waves despite enormous media attention and billions invested globally into........

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