Vegans, vegetarians and omnivores differ in nutrient hedonics, salt and sweet preference and flavouring

•Do habitual diets alter taste responses?•Questionnaires & taste tests compared vegan vegetarian & omnivore intake & hedonics.•Vegans had lower protein, Ca++ & Na+ intake, & increased carbohydrate (CHO) intake.•Vegan hedonics low for protein, Ca++& Na+, higher for CHO; sweeten more, salt less.•Recognizing diet-dependent changes in taste hedonics can inform diets and products.