More than half of the college students surveyed have tried an alternative to meat

Fifty-five percent of Midwestern college students had tried an alternative to herbal meat and attributed the choice to the enjoyment of new foods, curiosity about products, and environmental concern, according to a new study published in Journal of Nutritional Education and Behavior.

For several decades, there has been a steady growth of consumer concerns about the environmental sustainability of global food supply, animal welfare ethics, and the consequences of eating red meat on human health. Assess the prevalence of plant alternatives a meat consumption in students; describe associations between demographics, attitudes of environmental concern, and consumption; and to determine variables statistically associated with testing plant-based alternatives, the researchers studied students enrolled 18 to 30 years old at Iowa State University.

“Among the 1,400 students surveyed, we found that approximately 55 percent had tried a vegetable alternative to meat. People who ate plant-based products were more environmentally conscious, more likely to be vegetarian, and more likely to be out of food. “students are therefore not from Iowa,” said lead author Elizabeth Davitt, MS, Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA .

When assessing why there is a correlation between out-of-state students and a willingness to try vegetable alternatives to meat, Davitt suggests considering where the study is conducted. “This university in the state is well known for its degree programs in agriculture. Iowa is also a producer of pigs and chickens, as well as a large producer of livestock feed. So this could add some nuance to this. result “.

Respondents ’motivation to try vegetable alternatives to meat also included enjoying and trying new foods, being curious about these products, thinking they would know well, and receiving encouragement from family and friends. People who did not consume vegetable alternatives to meat had a less favorable view of meatless meals.

“There are many reasons why people chose the foods they ate, but we thought they had more positive attitude about the environment was associated with having tested a plant carn alternative to college students, ”Davitt said.