How controversial nutritionist John Harvey Kellogg pioneered the path to modern plant-based eating

When you hear the name Kellogg, Corn Flakes might be the first thing that comes to mind. But John Harvey Kellogg^[1] is famous for more than just breakfast cereals.

In many respects, this American doctor, nutritionist, inventor and entrepreneur was ahead of his time. Perhaps the first wellness influencer^[2] over a century before Gwyneth Paltrow^[3] got in on the act, he advocated startlingly similar treatments and practices.

But Kellogg was also a divisive figure due to his strong support^[4] for eugenics^[5] and “racial hygiene”. Driven by concerns about what he termed “race degeneracy”, he founded the Race Betterment Foundation^[6] in 1914 – a stance that has since blighted his reputation.

Kellogg believed that food was medicine. Undoubtedly the pioneer of today’s plant-based movement, he may have been impressed by the explosive growth of the global meat substitute market over the past decade.

As more people seek ethical, sustainable and health-conscious lifestyles, the demand for plant-based products has skyrocketed. In response^[7], major food corporations have re-branded or developed new offerings to meet this shift in consumer preferences.

What was once a niche market is now mainstream, with 4,965 products^[8] launched worldwide between 2019 and 2021. Today, the global meat substitute market is valued^[9] at over US$13 billion (£10 billion), and projections suggest it could reach nearly US$88 billion by 2032.

Read more: A fixation on ‘clean eating’ can be harmful – and perfectionists may be at greater risk of taking it too far^[10]

Kellogg’s game-changing invention

As director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium^[11] in Michigan, Kellogg redefined the connection between food, bodies and health. His philosophy of “biologic living”^[12] led him to experiment with a diverse range of health treatments. On the practical end, he championed fresh air, bathing and foods containing live bacteria. On the more eccentric side, he explored bizarre methods^[13] including yoghurt enemas, vibrating chairs and even genital mutilation.

Inspired by the Progressive clean-living movement^[14], Kellogg developed the Battle Creek diet system^[15], which promoted vegetarianism as a way to counter the negative effects of meat on digestion and the nervous system.

With his wife Ella, he set up an experimental kitchen to explore plant-based alternatives to meat. He was convinced that nuts and grains could provide healthier and more sustainable protein sources.

In 1896, the US Department of Agriculture approached Kellogg with a request to create a plant-based food product that could serve as a safe, nutritious alternative to meat. Kellogg embraced the challenge and created several innovative products. These included Nuttose, made from ground-up nuts and cereal grains; Granose, a solid-wheat based biscuit; and Protose, a blend of wheat gluten, cereal and ground peanuts.

Recognising their commercial potential, Kellogg launched the Sanitas Nut Food Company in 1899. By 1912, Sanitas was shipping over 65,000kg^[16] of its “vegetable meat” annually across the US. The Chicago Tribune boldly declared that Kellogg had solved “the meat problem”.

The power of ‘shockvertising’

Sanitas embarked on a major marketing campaign^[17] across popular US press outlets. Its advertisements relied on “shockvertising” to stir fear about meat consumption, often including disturbing images of animal suffering to drive home that message.

One memorable advert, titled “Why Slay to Eat”, showed a chained, bleeding cow kneeling before a man wielding a mallet. Another took aim at readers, calling them “Pigarians” and claiming that eating pork made a man “piggified” with a “hoggish expression”. Others warned that unsanitary slaughterhouses and food contamination made meat toxic and caused diseases like tapeworm^[18] and trichinosis^[19].