Academics from the University of Vaasa in Finland have undertaken a massive and detailed study. They’re aiming to change or at least alleviate the stigma that plant-centered diets and meat substitutes continue to experience across Europe. These findings illuminate the complicated social environment that shapes dietary choices. This is particularly the case with vegetarianism, as we recently discussed in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
The research, which examined 3,600 participants from Finland, the UK, Germany and Sweden. These people were given guidance to judge their views toward a made-up consumer according to distinct grocery purchasing style. Participants were presented with three distinct shopping lists that contained five staple foods: pasta, bread, apple juice, carrots, and bananas. There was huge inconsistency in what protein products were allowed among each list.
The first shopping list was meant to reflect the diet of an everyday meat lover — think minced meat, cold cuts, sausages. Another list was chock full of meat substitutes, including vegetable-based dumplings and vegetarian sausages. The third list acted as a control with no particular dietary preferences.
Roosa-Maaria Malila, one of the study’s authors, explained her findings. That research uncovered some key perceptions that contribute to the negative perceptions of vegetarian offerings. She said that a lot of people might not be attracted to the idea of vegetarian dishes for cultural reasons.
“Food is quite a strong part of our social identity. If and when vegetarian food evokes negative feelings, not many people want to risk being associated with it.” – Roosa-Maaria Malila
Malila emphasized the social ramifications that come with food choices. She noted that consumers who want plant-based options are frequently stigmatized, creating risks for them of looking socially deviant.
“According to our research, consumers who prefer plant-based alternatives are perceived as socially different — and not in a good way.” – Roosa-Maaria Malila
The research uncovered that customers eat meat and meat replacements for reasons beyond nutrition. Additionally, this behavior is indicative of an incredibly strong social phenomenon. Complex emotions appear to drive people’s attitudes towards vegetarian food. One of these feelings might be jealousy – towards people who are able to make other dietary choices.
Malila argued that the dislike of vegetarian food was often due to more overarching social constructs and personal identity issues. Contrary to expectations, this research highlights the importance of greater education and conversation around dietary decisions, especially as plant-based diets continue to increase in popularity and prevalence.
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