August 1st, 2022, Janice Fernandes
With many considering a meatless diet to be a healthier option, eating habits have changed noticeably in the past few years. But does that mean consumers are looking for more vegan/vegetarian options at restaurants? Using data from Profiles – our audience profiling tool – we look at the situation in Great Britain and the US.
A plurality of consumers in both markets say that restaurants should be offering more vegan or vegetarian options for diners. While roughly two in five Americans (45%) and Britons (41%) agree that restaurants should serve more meat/dairy-free food, a third of consumers in both markets (31% in US and 30% in GB) don’t think it’s important to see more variety.
Even though many consumers in both markets are keen to see more vegan/vegetarian options in restaurants, only a small proportion of consumers describe their eating habits as vegetarian and vegan. Around one in 20 consumers in the US (4%) and Britain (6%) say they follow a vegetarian diet. An even lower figure identifies as vegan (2% in US and GB).
Over half of consumers in the US (56%) consider themselves meat eaters, and the figure increases significantly in Britain (67%). More than one in ten Americans (13%) and Britons (14%) say they follow a flexitarian diet – mainly vegetarian but with occasional meat consumption.
This could mean that consumers in these markets are looking for restaurants with more inclusive menus.
Data reveals that environmental reasons (34%) and concerns over animal welfare (33%) are the main factors that might encourage Britons to adopt a vegan/vegetarian diet.
However, a third of Brits would consider cutting out meat and dairy products from their diets for general health reasons (30%). Concerns over the health risks involved in the production of meat/fish during production is a factor that would bother a quarter of Britons (25%) enough to make them switch to a vegan/vegetarian diet.
Over two in ten consumers are concerned about the healthiness of processed meat products (24%), while 10% are unsure about the accuracy of product labelling.
The increasing cost of living is causing consumers to cut back on grocery expenses, among others. So, it is no surprise that 17% of Britons might consider a vegan/vegetarian diet as they want to eat more cheaply.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for US and Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.
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