A new study has found that while veganism is now widely accepted as the ethically superior lifestyle, many people still find it difficult to convert. Could things be changing soon?
Itโs not easy to get away from meat.
Every supermarket is stocked up to the ceiling with burger patties, sausages, cuts of pork, and chicken breast, amongst other options. Dairy foods are everywhere and processed foods stuffed with animal products are on every aisle. High streets are full of fast food restaurants too, just in case your drunken brain is craving chicken nuggets at two in the morning on a Saturday. Not that Iโm speaking from personal experience, of course, Iโd never do such a thing.
The point Iโm trying to make is that meat consumption is difficult to avoid. Switching diets requires a lot of determination to refuse the constant advertisement that surrounds us day in, day out. A new 2019 study by the University of Bath, which was recently published and discussed on Big Think, has found that the most common reason for not changing lifestyles is practicality. Many of us know that being vegan is the right option, but actually doing it is another thing entirely.
So, how can we make changes in 2020 to finally reach a more veg-orientated state of being, whatโs already happening in fast food shops and supermarkets, and is it really all that difficult to make the switch?
How is our high street changing to fit vegan demands?
Iโm sure youโve seen the many articles that discuss the recent explosion of veganism in both the US and the UK.
Following Greggโs extremely successful launch of its vegan sausage roll, other fast food outlets have steadily released their own plant-based alternatives to traditional meat products. Hell, even Wetherspoons has its own vegan burgers now, which would have been unthinkable only five years ago.
Demand for vegan choices is undeniably accelerating. High street supermarkets such as the Co-Op are increasing their range of meat-free foods on a frequent basis, while The Guardian reported last year that vegan takeaway orders increased by 388% between 2016 and 2018. More of us are making meat-free choices and the demand has risen exponentially, a trend thatโs being reflected in our high streets.
Becoming a fully blown vegan is still an intimidating prospect, though, particularly if youโre someone whoโs not all that experienced with cooking complex meals or informed about nutrition.
Is it difficult to make the switch?
It can be easy to want to make the switch without knowing how to. The University of Bathโs study found that out of 1,000 UK participants, 83% said the shift โwouldnโt be easyโ, which makes clear that while there are more options, itโs still not a seamless transition for many of us. The good news however is that a plant-based lifestyle is becoming more socially acceptable, with 60% of those surveyed saying they donโt see veganism as something to be shunned.
The real difficulty can come from knowing where to begin. Plant options can feel limiting when it comes to meal ideas and social situations, many of which wonโt have vegans or vegetarians in mind. None of us want to be eating beans on our own at a party while everyone else gorges on steak.
A quick look on Amazon will give you a ton of vegan cookbooks which can be a useful starting point, though, and youโll find plenty of meat substitutes in supermarkets, usually found in the same aisle. It is possible to educate yourself and change, but it still feels like going against a tide much larger than yourself.
We should celebrate the surge in interest for meat alternatives and be excited for the future, but it would be premature to celebrate a woke, vegan society in 2020, given that it remains a niche lifestyle. Youโll still be bombarded with adverts for the latest โchicken zingerโ bucket meal for the foreseeable future, and itโll be hard to convince older boomers to give up an aspect of their diets theyโve been used to for decades. Becoming vegan in 2020 is easier than its ever been, but that still doesnโt mean itโs easy.
I myself am guilty of wanting to go meat free but have never been able to fully make the jump (I also just found out chickens enjoy swings, which is heart breaking). As more vegan meals crop up on local restaurant menus, and as supermarkets continue to stock new plant-based versions of meat favourites, that leap will become less and less daunting.
Weโre not quite there yet, but itโs certainly an exciting time to be dropping meat from your diet.
Iโm Charlie (He/Him), a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, Iโm a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
Wembleyโs three-million-strong crowds bring in noise, traffic, and little benefit to locals. Brent Councilโs hotel levy is a smart and overdue response.
Granted, Brent isnโt exactly the first place that springs to mind when you think of tourist taxes. Itโs not central London and itโs certainly not the picturesque Cotswolds. But the borough does play host to something few other areas do โ a global entertainment destination that pulls in millions...
The footballer is under investigation for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism for his 18th birthday party. The incident raises serious questions about disability discrimination in 2025.
When Spainโs footballing prodigy Lamine Yamal turned 18 last week, he marked the milestone in the way many young men might dream of: a luxury villa in Barcelona, and an extensive guest list of family and friends. But there was one detail that turned...
For the first time ever, treatment for malaria specifically designed for newborns and small infants has received regulatory approval, which is exciting for millions across Africa, where malaria remains a serious public health threat.
Malaria remains a huge public health challenge, particularly throughout SubโSaharan Africa.
The World Health Organization reported 597,000 deaths in 2023 from malaria, over 95% in Africa, with threeโquarters involving children less than five years of age....
Months since the order was given, the gap left in foreign aid spending by the US is so vast that no other nation has been able to fill it, especially when most are redirecting funding to the defense industry.
4 months ago, the Trump administration moved to cut USAID spending. Spearheaded by what was once Elon Muskโs DOGE, the government was driven to reduce its overall expenditures and...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.