Are meat options preferred to comparable vegetarian options? An experimental study

Background. Reducing meat consumption could lead to substantial benefits both in terms of health and environmental impact, but meat options may be more attractive to customers than meat-free options. This study aimed to test this. Methods. UK adults (n=540) were presented with a series of pictures showing two meal options and asked to select which they would prefer to eat right now. They completed this task for every possible pair from a pool of six comparator meat-based main meal options and six target options (66 pairs). Participants all saw identical comparator options, and were randomised to see the same pictures of target options but with descriptions that suggested they were either meat-based or vegetarian. Selections were used to rank the options for each individual from 1 (most-selected) to 12 (least-selected).Results. Vegetarian target options were ranked worse (by 1.23 places (95% CI: 1.02, 1.44)) than meat target options. Higher self-reported consumption of meat predicted worse mean rankings of target options when these were vegetarian, but not when target options were meat-based.Conclusions. The results suggest that meat options are preferred to equivalent vegetarian options and may be more likely to be selected. This has implications for interventions aiming to reduce meat consumption to make diets healthier and more sustainable.