Plant-based diets among Finnish adolescents: results from the Youth Nutrition Study
M Viitalehto, S Niinistö, H Vepsäläinen, SM Virtanen, P Haario, S Ahonen, T Korhonen, M Åkerlund, S RaulioAbstract
Background
The Nordic nutrition recommendations emphasize a shift toward plant-based diets for both health and environmental reasons. This study examined the prevalence of plant-based diets among Finnish adolescents according to sociodemographic backgrounds.
Methods
Our data comprised 1,975 Finnish adolescents aged 12–20 years who participated in a cross-sectional Youth Nutrition Study conducted during the years 2024–2025 in 22 municipalities. The data were collected in schools using two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls and background questionnaires. Participants were asked whether they followed any special diet, which was classified by the interviewer. Vegan, lacto-vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivorous diets excluding red meat were classified as plant‑based diets. The prevalence of plant-based and omnivorous diets was calculated by sex, age, and school type. Group differences were tested using the chi‑square test.
Results
Diets among adolescents were distributed as follows (n, %): omnivorous diet (1861, 94%), omnivorous diet excluding red meat (25, 1%), lacto-vegetarian or pescatarian (29, 1%) and vegan diet (3, 0.2%). The prevalence of plant-based diets was higher among girls (5%) than boys (1%, p < 0.001) and among 16–20-year-olds (5%) than younger (2%, p < 0.001). In addition, plant-based diets were more common among students in upper secondary schools (8%) than in lower secondary schools (2%) and vocational schools (1%, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
In Finland, plant-based diets are still relatively uncommon among adolescents. These findings highlight the need to increase the adoption of more plant-based diets to support both health and environmental sustainability.
Key messages
• The prevalence of plant-based diets among Finnish adolescents is relatively low.
• A shift toward plant‑based diets requires population‑wide efforts, with focus on groups where such diets are less common, such as boys and lower secondary and vocational school students.