University of Exeter study found young people open to meat-free diets but struggled to stick with them

Children and teenagers have shown a strong willingness to reduce or eliminate meat from their diets, but most have struggled to maintain those changes over time, according to new research from the University of Exeter.

• A University of Exeter study found 48.5% of young adults had considered giving up meat during childhood or adolescence, with many attempting it.
• Most participants returned to eating meat due to barriers including taste, convenience, and social pressures.
• Parental support was identified as the strongest factor in whether young people maintained a meat-free diet.

The study, published in Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations, examined attitudes and behaviors toward meat consumption among more than 1,000 UK young adults aged 18 to 26. Participants were asked to reflect on whether they had considered giving up meat during their childhood or teenage years, revealing that early life may represent a key period for dietary change.

Researchers found that nearly half of respondents, 48.5%, had thought about stopping eating meat before finishing secondary school, with those considerations emerging at an average age of 11. Of those who considered it, just over half, 50.4%, went on to try giving up meat, with attempts lasting anywhere from a few days to several years.

Despite this early openness, most participants eventually returned to eating meat. The study identified a range of practical barriers that made it difficult for young people to sustain a vegetarian or vegan diet. These included taste preferences, the convenience of available food options, social pressures, and the challenge of fitting dietary choices into existing family routines.

Dr Luke McGuire, lead researcher at the University of Exeter, said the findings highlighted a contrast between younger and older age groups. “There’s a growing shift towards plant-based eating, but many adults still struggle to change their behaviour and view eating meat as natural, normal, and necessary. This makes dietary change among adults challenging, but research shows children place a similar moral value on animal lives as on human lives and are less likely than adults to view eating meat as morally acceptable.

We therefore wanted to understand whether these beliefs are related to behaviours and what makes young people consider vegetarian or vegan diets and found many are motivated by moral, environmental, and emotional factors.

Research has shown vegetarian or vegan diets are safe for children and can be beneficial to their health, if done correctly. It means with the right support from parents and schools – and improvements in the convenience and appeal of plant-based foods – childhood could represent a powerful opportunity to encourage healthier and more sustainable eating habits.”

The research pointed to distinct motivations at different stages of childhood and adolescence. Younger children were often influenced by emotional reactions, particularly a sense of disgust when learning that meat comes from animals. These experiences could trigger early interest in avoiding meat.

Among older children and teenagers, motivations shifted toward broader considerations such as health and environmental impact. The study noted that increasing awareness of global sustainability issues appeared to play a role in shaping these attitudes, with some participants describing “meat epiphany moments” that led them to reassess their diets.

However, translating these motivations into long-term behavior proved difficult. The study found that parental support was the single most important factor influencing whether young people were able to maintain a meat-free diet. Where parents were supportive, children were more likely to sustain dietary changes. In many cases, however, parents were more comfortable with their child returning to eating meat than with maintaining a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Professor Natalia Lawrence, co-author of the study, said the findings underscored both the opportunity and the challenge of encouraging dietary change at a young age. “Our findings suggest childhood and adolescence are natural periods for encouraging plant-based eating. However, for children and young people to successfully stop eating meat they need parental engagement and support.

Part of the issue is offering more accessible and appealing plant-based options for families. Stronger food education in schools, alongside wider public messaging – like the recent ‘Bang In Some Beans’ campaign – highlight how an individual’s dietary choices contribute to health, environmental, and animal welfare goals.”

The researchers concluded that while early life presents a window of openness to dietary change, sustaining those changes requires a broader support system. This includes not only family engagement, but also improvements in the availability, convenience, and appeal of plant-based foods, as well as clearer education around nutrition and sustainability.

The study, titled Early attempts to stop eating meat: Prevalence, predictors and outcomes among UK youth, was funded in part by Children & Young People’s Wellbeing at Exeter.