The diet habits of Brits, by age group, have been revealed, and sensationally it’s the over 55s who are more likely to follow a plant–based diet than Millenials.
The survey, carried out by meal box delivery company, Green Chef, highlights that older adults are much more likely to follow a plant–based diet than younger adults in Britain and suggests some of the possible reasons why this may be.
The research shows that a fifth of over 55s (20%) follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, whereas only one in 25 millennials (4%) eat a strictly vegan diet.
Conversely, older adults surveyed had different reasons for eating the diets they do. Many remarked that they followed a non-meat eating diet due to allergies, and one 55 – 64-year-old female from Newcastle said: ‘ I am trying to cut down on meat for the environment.’
The survey also revealed a regional split of people following certain diets. The data highlighted Norwich as having the highest population of vegetarians in the UK, with one in five people from the city leading a vegetarian lifestyle.
Birmingham stood out as the UK city with the highest number of vegans, with one in every 20 opting for this lifestyle and diet choice.
Mancunians were highlighted as having the highest amount of keto diet lovers, with a 10th of all people from Manchester surveyed opting for this diet.
In contrast, Sheffield had the highest rate of gluten-free eaters, with almost one in 10 Sheffield dwellers eating gluten-free foods. Interestingly, Belfast residents follow a Mediterranean diet, with one in seven people preferring this diet.
Along with highlighting the regional and age-related differences in dietary preferences, the survey also showed that men are twice as likely to eat a predominantly red meat diet than women. Research showed that one in 10 UK males eat a predominantly red meat diet, compared to one in twenty females.
One survey participant, a female between 55–64 from Sheffield, said that she follows a pollotarian diet where she eats predominantly poultry because she doesn’t like the taste of red meat. Whereas a male survey participant aged 45–54 from the same city told Green Chef that he follows a carnivorous diet because “it’s how I grew up”.
A spokesperson from Green Chef said: ‘It is interesting to see the generational split between millennials who appear to be on the whole eating any food they desire, to the older generation who are considering their food intake due to internal and external factors, such as their own body’s intolerances and the environment.’
‘It is also fascinating to see the gender split between those who follow a carnivorous diet and those who don’t. The survey highlights that males follow this diet as it’s what they’ve been used to and brought up on and have never changed their diet.’
‘At Green Chef, we are opening up the conversation around different diet options and want to make all individual diet preferences readily available. We have six diet options in our weekly recipe box subscription: keto, lower carb, flexitarian, pescetarian, vegan, and vegetarian.’
