Around 56 percent of Brits aged 16-29 have tried a vegan diet in the last 12 months, according to a new poll by cereal giant Kellogg’s.
An additional 45 percent of those in their 30s and 40 have attempted to ditch animal products, the results of the 2,000 person poll show.
Around a third of respondents tried to adopt a vegan diet due to animal welfare concerns, with 29 percent trying it out to lose weight. Just four percent said they gave it a go in a bid to emulate celebrities.
‘Too difficult’
However, the majority ditched their new habits after an average of just three and a half months – with almost a third (28 percent) saying a plant-based diet is ‘too difficult’ to follow.
A significant number (25 percent) said they didn’t know to eat, 27 percent said the food was too expensive, and 16 percent said they found it ‘impossible’ to eat plant-based in restaurants. A third said they missed meat – leading them to ditch their attempted vegan diet.
Significantly, of those who attempted – and then gave up – a vegan diet, 72 percent said they would have been able to stick with it for longer if they had more support from friends and family.
‘Hard to know’
In a statement, Laura Street, Kellogg’s Senior Nutritionist, said: “Many people are turning to plant-based diets to support a better lifestyle but it can be difficult to stick to.
“Our research showed that a quarter of new vegans find it hard to know what to eat.
“That’s why, as part of our Better Starts Plan to help families make healthier choices, we have developed a new range of vegan cereals.”