35% of Brits are now buying less or no meat at all, new survey shows
As people continue feeling the pinch of rising food and utility bills, a consumer survey, conducted by The Vegan Society,[1] found that one in three (35%) supermarket shoppers are scaling back on meat products or cutting it out all together to maximise their budget.
The latest findings follow previous research from the society’s Live Vegan for Less campaign which highlighted three-quarters of Britons were concerned over the rising cost of food. [2]
Now with prices continuing to spiral, of those surveyed in our latest research, over half (53%) said they would be interested in trying a vegan diet if it was proven to be more cost effective than a mainstream diet. This is an eight percent increase compared with previous findings.
In order to dispel the myth of plant-based foods being unaffordable, participants were asked to rank a mix of plant and animal-based protein sources into cost order.
The exercise found fish and beef products are at the more expensive end of the spectrum while plant foods such as lentils, baked beans and peanut butter are at the lower end.
Interestingly, over half of participants ranked tofu as more expensive than canned tuna whereas in reality, tofu is 24p cheaper.
In order to show that vegan living can be affordable for all, the charity has released a cost comparison factsheet under its Live Vegan for Less campaign to show that it’s still cheaper to consume vegan protein-rich foods based on portions recommended by The British Dietetic Association.
The Vegan Society’s Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research, Claire Ogley, said: “Our Live Vegan for Less campaign shows that a vegan diet is more affordable than a mainstream diet and includes many protein-rich, plant-based options that are quick and easy to prepare.
While the cost-of-living crisis is having a devastating impact on individuals and families, it’s encouraging to see more people open to reducing meat and seeking plant-based options which are beneficial for health and a welcome bonus to stretching your money further. With food costs on the rise, it’s certainly worth exploring how a vegan diet could help you save money.”
[1] Research was a survey titled “Share your thoughts”, conducted on Attest on 27-30th May 2022. Audience was 1,500 people living in the UK.
[2] Attest consumer survey of 1000 GB adults for The Vegan Society conducted 24th April 2020 (online).
