Greater vegan and vegetarian choice ‘takes diners away from beef’

A greater choice of vegetarian and vegan meals on a menu can nudge diners towards choosing them instead of meat or fish, a study has suggested.

Researchers at Cambridge University analysed 94,000 meal choices made at three colleges where diners make their purchases on university cards topped up with credit.

They found that doubling the number of vegetarian options on the menu from one in four to two in four reduced the proportion of meat-rich purchases by between 40 and 80 per cent without affecting overall food sales.

Data, including the names of the colleges involved, was anonymised as part of the study.

The research team found that the biggest increases in plant-based dining were among the most carnivorous quartile of customers: people who had consistently picked meat or fish before a second vegetarian option was added.

The study indicated that there was not a “rebound effect” – that opting for a vegetarian lunch did not make a meat-heavy dinner more likely.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead author Emma Garnett, a conservationist at Cambridge’s department of zoology, said: “We’re not saying all cafeterias and restaurants should turn vegan overnight. But if food were the film industry, vegetarian and vegan meals need to land more starring roles, and meat dishes have got to stop hogging the limelight.”