Nearly every consumer today has some type of dieting ideology they currently practice. Whether vegetarian, paleo, flexitarian or gluten-free, Americans’ experimentation with approaches to eating today is much more nutritionally intentional than in any previous era.

More than four in 10 consumers (44 percent) have experimented with some type of diet or eating approach in the past year, according to Health + Wellness 2017, a report from The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash. The most popular is low carbohydrate, with 12 percent of survey respondents indicating they have tried this type of diet. An impressive 5 percent have explored paleo eating principles, which make lean meats, especially grass-fed animals and wild game, a prominent part of the diet.

Meat and poultry also have leading roles in gluten-free, dairy-free, calorie counting, whole foods and intermittent/fasting diets. The protein and fat in meat and poultry satiates, assisting with weight loss and weight management eating programs.