Lidl promotes plant-based diet

Across all 31 countries where Lidl operates, the discounter will increase its focus on plant-based proteins, wholegrain products and fruit and vegetables. The German retailer wants to make it easier for customers to make sustainable choices in their groceries.

“Planetary health diet”

Lidl aims to align its range with the so-called “planetary health diet” by 2050. A first step is to sell 20 % more plant-based foods by 2030. The food system must change to address challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food-related diseases, the retailer says. Lidl will apply WWF’s methodology to offer its customers a wider range of healthy and sustainable alternatives, but stresses that its customers are still free to choose.

Specifically, the supermarket chain is taking action in three categories: proteins, wholegrain products and fruit and vegetables. For example, Lidl plans to increase the share of plant-based protein sources, such as pulses, nuts and seeds, as well as plant-based alternatives to meat, eggs and fish. Every year, the discounter will report on the “protein gap”: the difference in sales share between plant and animal proteins in its product range.

Lidl also wants to increase the share of wholegrain cereals in its product range to 15 %. By 2030, every relevant private label product group should contain at least one wholegrain alternative. Finally, the retailer remains committed to offering customers a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. “We hope this will inspire other retailers to follow Lidl’s example and increasingly prioritise plant-based products over animal-based ones”, WWF’s Mariella Meyer commented.