A study has revealed what Britain’s most common misconceptions are about life as a vegan.
On behalf of Violife, the dairy-free alternative to cheese, OnePoll surveyed 2,000 British adults, discovering half of the population believe mealtimes as a vegan would be a ‘nightmare’.
Wasting hours planning what to eat, always being hungry, and constantly being ‘in a mood’, were other common misconceptions those polled raised.
Half surveyed admitted they’d rather give up alcohol for a month than meat or dairy products.
However, 20 per cent did say they’d like to try veganism, but have avoided doing so believing the options would be ‘boring’.
Those polled also said they believe if you’re vegan, ‘you can’t eat in many restaurants’ and ‘you have to take back-up options with you as nowhere caters for vegans’.
One in 10 respondents believed vegans are ‘permanently in a mood’ while a fifth thought vegans must always be hungry.
People were also confused about what a vegan diet means, with 30 per cent saying they’re unsure what vegans can and can’t eat.
For example, 22 per cent thought vegans could eat honey, 31 per cent believed they can’t eat lettuce, and 16 per cent had no idea whether vegans could eat sugar-free chocolate.
A tenth of those polled presumed vegans could eat jelly, which contains gelatine, an animal product.
One in five said if they were to go vegan, they’d miss cheese more than anything else, with half of all surveyed saying it’s difficult to find a dairy-free alternative which tastes as good as the real thing.
Simon Orchard, UK country manager at Violife, said:
Despite veganism’s rise in popularity, many Brits believe there aren’t enough vegan alternatives to keep a plant-based lifestyle interesting and enjoyable.
Violife seeks to address this issue by offering a host of great-tasting dairy-free alternatives that slice, grate and melt just like cheese, making it very easy for Brits to enjoy their favourites such as toasties, pizzas or a pasta bake, without the dairy.
The survey also discovered the dish most likely to lead vegans astray is a simple ploughman’s lunch, followed by pasta bake, and cheese on toast.
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