Veganism and Vegetarian Dietary Practices

Veganism and vegetarianism encompass a spectrum of dietary patterns characterised by the exclusion of animal products to varying extents. Vegetarian diets typically exclude meat but may include dairy and eggs, whereas vegan diets eliminate all animal-derived foods. Motivations for adopting these diets range from concerns for human health and chronic disease prevention, to environmental sustainability and ethical considerations for animal welfare. Nutritional research has increasingly focused on ensuring adequate intake of protein, vitamin B12, iron and omega-3 fatty acids through plant sources and fortified foods. Policy initiatives and public health campaigns now often advocate for reduced meat consumption as part of national strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and to curb the incidence of diet-related illnesses. Behavioural studies highlight the importance of social support, identity formation and food environment interventions in sustaining long-term adherence. Globally, shifts towards plant-based eating are reshaping food systems and driving innovation in plant-derived proteins, with significant implications for agriculture, trade and nutrition policy.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analyses of national dietary surveys have revealed that in the United Kingdom a reduction in portion sizes accounted for more than half of the decline in meat consumption over the past decade. Smaller meat portions drove 52% of the decrease, while fewer meat-eating days, a decline in the number of meat consumers and a reduction in meat-based meal occasions contributed 24%, 17% and 7% respectively. These findings underscore the relative impact of portion control strategies on overall meat intake and point to portion size as a key lever for policy interventions aimed at encouraging plant-based alternatives and lowering environmental footprints.

Veganism and Vegetarian Dietary Practices publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in veganism and vegetarian dietary practices across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Veganism: A dietary practice excluding all animal-derived foods and often extending to avoidance of animal-based products in other spheres of consumption.

Vegetarianism: A dietary practice excluding meat and sometimes other animal products, with subtypes defined by the inclusion or exclusion of dairy, eggs and fish.

Plant-based diet: An eating pattern emphasising foods derived from plants, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, with limited or no animal products.

Satiety: The physiological sensation of fullness and the suppression of hunger following food intake.

Restrictive Dietary Practices (RDPs): Deliberate limitations on food categories or quantities, often motivated by health, ethical or ecological concerns and varying in rigidity and duration.

Social identity: The part of an individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership in social groups, including dietary communities.

References

1. Smaller meat portions contribute the most to reducing meat consumption in the United Kingdom. Nature Food (2024).
2. Effects of single plant-based vs. animal-based meals on satiety and mood in real-world smartphone-embedded studies. npj Science of Food (2023).
3. Health, environmental, and animal rights motives for vegetarian eating. PLOS ONE (2020).
4. Vegetarianism as a social identity. Current Opinion in Food Science (2020).
5. Influence of the Socio-Cultural Environment and External Factors in Following Plant-Based Diets. Sustainability (2020).