Meat reduction among post-secondary students: Exploration of motives, barriers, diets and preferences for meals with partial and full meat substitution

Abstract

Before developing new meat reduction interventions to support increased sustainability, it is important to understand the motives, diets and preferences of consumers who have already made efforts to reduce meat consumption. While self-declaration has been typically used to identify meat reducers, food frequency data suggests some reducers still identify as omnivores, here termed transitional meat reducers. We compared these “transitional” meat reducers to self-declared meat reducers, unrestricted omnivores and vegetarians/vegans for differences in diet, motives for reducing meat, and perceived barriers to consuming more legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils) and plant-based meat alternative products (PBMAs). We also compared their intention to choose four specific entrees where legumes or PBMAs had partially or fully replaced meat. A convenience sample of Canadian university students completed an online survey (N = 438). 34% of participants were self-declared meat reducers, 16% transitional meat reducers, 33% unrestricted omnivores and 16% vegetarians/vegans. Frequency of eating red meat differed, with self-declared meat reducers eating red meat less often than either transitional meat reducers or unrestricted omnivores. Motives for meat reduction were similar in the two reducer groups. Transitional meat reducers reported significantly more frequent consumption of other protein foods and more barriers to legumes but not PBMA, than either unrestricted omnivores or self-declared meat reducers. Lastly, intention to consume all versions of entrees was very similar in both reducer groups, but with increased preference for full vs partial substitution among self-declared reducers. Transitional meat reducers may be a distinct group for meat reduction interventions compared to omnivores or self-declared reducers.