Doubling the number of vegetarian options on the dining menus at the University of Cambridge cuts meat-rich meal choices by 40–80 per cent, experts found.
The study of more than 94,000 meal choices in three of the university’s colleges is the first to show how diversifying options can nudge diners to vegetarianism.
Researchers found that raising the number of veggie option from one- to two-in-four had the biggest effect on regular meat eaters but did not affect overall meal sales.
Meat-based diets, in comparison to vegetarian ones, generate more harmful greenhouse gases and require more land for their production.
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Doubling the number of vegetarian options on the dining menus at the University of Cambridge cuts meat-rich meal choices by 40–80 per cent, experts found
Conservationist Emma Garnett and colleagues from Cambridge’s geography, public health and zoology departments collected a year’s worth of cafeteria sales data — amounting to over 94,000 meal choices — from three of the university’s colleges.
Two of the unnamed colleges provided data on term-time, weekday, lunch and dinner selections, which are purchased using university cards loaded with credit.
This dataset covered 86,932 hot meals, and more than 2,100 repeat diners. Menus during the study period varied from days with no vegetarian or vegan dishes to those where they comprised 75 per cent of the options.
Analysis revealed that doubling the vegetarian offerings on a given menu from a quarter to a half of available choices increased the vegetarian option’s share of sales by almost 15 per cent.
Caterers in the third college teamed up with the researchers for a term-long experiment in which lunchtime menus were varied between the standard of one veggie option and two.
The team found that doubling the vegetarian lunch options increased the proportion of vegetarian sales by 8 per cent.
‘One of the exciting things about this study is the scale of information on individual diners’ choices,’ said paper co-author and conservation scientist Andrew Balmford.
‘It allowed us to test for rebound effects, when customers compensate for less meat at lunch by eating more in the evening. We found little evidence of this.’
‘We discovered that changing the relative availability of vegetarian options had the strongest effect on those who usually eat more meat.’ said Balmford.
The study of data on over 94,000 meal selections in three of the university’s colleges is the first to show that diversifying meal options can nudge diners to vegetarianism
‘Shifting to a more plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways of reducing the environmental footprint of food,’ said Ms Garnett.
Meat-rich diets are a key driver of species loss and climate change.
Dairy, egg, fish and meat farms account for around 58 per cent of the greenhouse gases generated by global food production and make up 83 per cent of its land use, despite only contributing to around 18 per cent of the world’s caloric intake.
The catering service at Cambridge University has slashed its carbon footprint by almost 11 per cent by taking beef and lamb off of its menus. Pictured, King’s College, Cambridge
‘Replacing some meat or fish with more vegetarian options might seem obvious, but as far as we know no one had tested it before. Solutions that seem obvious don’t always work, but it would appear that this one does,’ she added.
‘Education is important but generally ineffective at changing diets. Meat taxes are unpopular,’ said paper author Theresa Marteau, a behaviour and health expert.
‘Altering the range of available options is more acceptable, and offers a powerful way to influence the health and sustainability of our diets.’
Researchers found that raising the number of veggie option from one- to two-in-four had the biggest effect on regular meat eaters but did not affect overall meal sales
The team are helping to shape Cambridge’s food policy, with the University Catering Service working to reduce meat options.
Key to this effort has been the elimination of beef and lamb — which are the biggest contributors of meat-based greenhouse gases — from menus.
In fact, the service — which runs the university’s central cafeterias that are separate from the dining facilities provided in individual colleges — announced earlier this month that such changes had cut its carbon footprint by 11 per cent.
Meat-based diets, in comparison to vegetarian ones, generate more harmful greenhouse gases and require more land for their production
‘Universities are increasingly at the forefront of providing plant-based options that are affordable and delicious, making it easier to choose a more sustainable diet,’ said Ms Garnett.
‘I think that’s what really has to change. We’re not saying all cafeterias and restaurants should turn vegan overnight.’
‘But if food were the film industry, vegetarian and vegan meals need to land more starring roles, and meat dishes have got to stop hogging the limelight.’
‘Flexitarianism is on the rise. Our results show that caterers serving more plant-based options are not just responding to but also reshaping customer demand.’
‘Simple changes such as increasing the proportion of vegetarian options could be usefully scaled up, helping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss.’
The full findings of the study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
VEGETARIAN DIETS REALLY DO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL
Plant-based diets really do lower cholesterol, according to a review of nearly 50 studies.
Vegetarians generally eat more greens, fruits and nuts which means they have a lower intake of saturated fat, researchers found.
These foods are naturally rich in components such as soluble fibre, soy protein, and plant sterols (a cholesterol found in plants), all of which lower cholesterol.
The research, led by Dr Yoko Yokoyama, from Keio University in Fujisawa, found vegetarians had 29.2 milligrams less of total cholesterol per decilitre (one tenth of a litre) than meat-eaters.
Vegetarian diets lower cholesterol as they result in lower intake of saturated fat, increased intake of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits and nuts (stock image)
For the review, researchers took ‘vegetarian diets’ to mean a diet that includes eating meat products less than once every month.
For meat-eaters following a vegetarian diet could lower cholesterol by 12.5 milligrams per decilitre.
‘Those [individuals] who have followed vegetarian dietary patterns for longer periods may have healthier body compositions as well as better adherence to a vegetarian diet, both of which may have an effect on blood lipids’, researchers wrote in the paper published in the journal Nutrition Reviews.
