A study has found cutting down on meat saved Brits more than £2.8 billion last year.
Research commissioned by vegetarian brand, Linda McCartney Foods, surveyed 2,000 adults in the UK and found that 26 per cent of them reduced their meat intake in 2018.
This saved them an average of £209 each.
The study also discovered if the present trend continues the number of vegetarians in Britain will increase from a fifth to a third by 2050.
In fact, a third of those surveyed believe there will be a time when there are more vegetarians and vegans in the UK than meat eaters, and this could happen in just 23 years’ time.
More than half polled believe more people will become vegetarian in 2019 compared to any other year before.
According to the research, 17 per cent of meat of carnivores hope to reduce their meat intake this year citing health concerns, saving money and environmentalism as being their motivations.
In response to the study, Charles Banks, director of The Food People, said:
Vegetarianism has been growing over the last few years at a previously unseen rate. There are a number of motivations driving people to alter their behaviour, from ethics, economics, environment, health and accessibility.
Therefore it is most often a combination of factors that are forcing consumers to rethink their daily diets.
The accessibility of vegetarian and vegan food that has had the biggest impact, as it moves towards a more inclusive, mainstream lifestyle choice
Banks continued:
Food without meat is no longer just a ‘plain salad’ – it’s now fun, interesting and fully loaded with the latest trends and flavours.
In 2018 the UN released a report which stated that we have just 12 years to ‘stave off a climate crisis’. In response activists, experts and influencers demanded that people move towards a meat-free diet.
Following this declaration, thoughts have turned to our diets, as more consumers understand the true cost of our food, not just for our pockets, but for the environment. They’re beginning to realise that meat-heavy diets are not sustainable.
Mary McCartney, daughter of Linda, has directed a film for Linda McCartney Foods which explores kindness. You can check it out here.
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