Scientists are suggesting a novel strategy for restaurants: include images of animals on menus to nudge diners toward choosing vegetarian options over meat dishes. This recommendation stems from research conducted by experts at the University of East Anglia.
In their study, the researchers experimented by adding pictures of animals next to corresponding meat-based dishes on a university cafeteria menu in the UK. For instance, a cow was pictured alongside beef bolognese, a pig accompanied the pork gyros, and a chicken was shown with the sweet and sour chicken option.
Remarkably, the study found that these images had a ‘significant’ influence on the diners’ selections. There was a noticeable increase in the likelihood of choosing a vegetarian meal, with a 22 percent rise, showing a consistent effect regardless of the type of meat.
The results showed that adding these images had a ‘significant’ impact on diners’ choices.Â
The odds of choosing a vegetarian meal rose by 22 per cent – with the effects consistent across meat types.Â
‘Visual reminders of meat’s animal origins can influence actual food choices in a natural setting,’ the researchers said.Â
‘By displaying images of live animals alongside meat–based dishes on university cafeteria menus, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of vegetarian meals sold.Â
‘These findings demonstrate that linking meat to its animal source can produce measurable behavioral changes, and highlight the practical potential of simple, low–cost animal–meat reminders in everyday dining contexts.’
In a new study, experts from the University of East Anglia added images of living animals alongside meat–based dishes on a cafeteria menu at a British university
For the study, the researchers set out to understand whether reminding people of meat’s animal origins would impact their willingness to eat it.Â
‘Many people who eat meat experience unease about the idea of causing suffering to animals,’ the researchers explained in their study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.Â
‘This tension – known as the “meat paradox” – reflects a form of cognitive dissonance arising from the conflict between valuing animal welfare and consuming meat.Â
‘To lessen this tension, it is argued that humans have developed strategies to increase the psychological and physical separation between meat production and meat consumption.’
The team set up in a British university canteen, where they displayed menus over two periods.Â
During the first period, diners saw menus with only the dish descriptions on them, while during the second, they also saw images of animals next to the corresponding meat dishes.Â
An analysis of sales revealed that the odds of ordering a vegetarian meal were 22 per cent higher when the animal images were displayed.Â
‘The intervention effect appeared to be generally consistent across different types of meat suggesting that the psychological mechanisms underlying the meat paradox – such as empathy for animals and heightened moral or disgust responses – are presumably activated by the recognition of any animal source, rather than being restricted to certain meats that are culturally or emotionally more salient,’ the researchers explained.Â
For the study, the researchers set out to understand whether reminding people of meat’s animal origins would impact their willingness to eat it (stock image)
The experts do note several limitations to the study.Â
The study only looked at immediate choice, and it remains unclear if people who opted for vegetarian meals in the canteen went on to avoid meat later.Â
What’s more, the study took place in a university canteen with mostly young diners, who may be more emotionally engaged with environmental issues than older age groups.Â
However, the researchers hope the findings highlight the impact of animal images on diner choices.Â
‘Unlike interventions that seek to change behavior through information, monetary incentives, or restrictive policies, animal-image interventions are low-cost, scalable, and easy to implement,’ they added.Â
The decline of vegan food: how companies embraced the meat-free boom and lost out
RESTAURANTSÂ
 NEAT BURGER
The Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio-backed synthetic meat restaurant group closed four of its eight UK burger venues in December.Â
The company axed stores in Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street and Westfield Stratford after it saw losses expand by around 140 per cent in 2022.
 V OR V
The restaurant on Cornish Street in Sheffield, which picked up numerous accolades since opening in 2019, announced it closure in November 2023.
HARMONIUMÂ
In April 2023 the Edinburgh vegan bar and restaurant Harmonium shut after an ‘incredibly difficult period of trading.
VURGER
The Vurger Co vegan restaurant group appointed administrators after narrowly avoiding collapse in July 2023.Â
VGN BOULEVARD
The Stourbridge restaurant closed in 2022 due to financial strain.
PLANT HUSTLERÂ
The restaurant in Boscombe made the decision to close in October 2022 after facing financial difficultiesÂ
VGN BOULEVARD
The restaurant on Coventry Street in Stourbridge had been voted one of the top 10 vegan restaurants in the country for its decadent take on vegan fast food. But it collapsed under financial pressure in September 2023 as a result of the Covid pandemic.Â
NOMAS GASTROBARÂ
The Macclesfield restaurant was forced to start serving meat in January 2024 because it had too few vegan customers.Â
DONNER SUMMER
The Sheffield restaurant closed in March 2023.
VAD’SÂ
Takeaway that ‘paved the way for vegan junk food’ closed in July 2023.
FROST BURGER
Liverpool vegan burger restaurant closed in September 2022.
SEITANS CORNERÂ
The top-rated Bristol-based restaurant announced its closure in October 2022. It had planned a refurbishment before making the ‘difficult decision to move on’.
V REV
One of Manchester’s first and most popular vegan eatery’s closed its doors in December 2022.
FOOD PRODUCTSÂ
VBITESÂ
Heather Mills’ vegan food company went into administration after being hit by rising costs, despite being one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of vegan food products.Â
VEGAN KIND
The Vegan Kind, the UK’s biggest online supermarket dedicated to plant-based products, ceased operations in November 2022 due to the cost of living crisis.
HECK
Yorkshire-based sausage company Heck cut its vegan range from ten products to two — burgers and sausage. Announcing the news, co-founder Jamie Keeble said that ‘the public wasn’t quite ready. At the end of the day we want to sell products that work on the shelves. These didn’t.’Â
PRET A MANGER
Pret closed all but two of its vegetarian and vegan-only stores, after admitting many customers don’t see themselves as ‘full-time veggies’.
INNOCENTÂ
The drinks company has scrapped its dairy-free milk range after joking that just five people had brought the beverage.Â
TOFOO Co
 The Tofoo Co — which sells a range of scrambled, smoked and crispy tofu — suffered a 42.9 per cent decrease in range volumes.
PLANT & BEANÂ
The Lincolnshire based vegan food manufacturing company went into administration in May 2023. Â
 BEYOND MEAT
Beyond Meat, was one of the brightest starts of the alternative meat sector. But its revenue has been falling since last year with annual sales projected to fall to just $330million this year, compared with the 2021 high of $461million.
MEATLESS FARM
Meatless Farm has become the latest victim after the Leeds-based company made its 50-strong workforce redundant in August 2023 and collapsed into administration.
The firm was set up in 2016 and sold £11million worth of plant-based mince, burgers and chicken in 2021 – but has struggled as demand for meat-free products slowed.
It was later rescued by vegan frozen food company VFC.Â
OATLY
Oatly has withdrawn its dairy-free ice cream in Britain.
NESTLEÂ
Nestle pulled two of its plant-based brands from shops in the UK due to a lack of demand.
The company also announced it was pulling its plant-based Garden Gourmet and Wunda brands from retail in the UK and Ireland in August 2023, following lacklustre sales.
THE VEGETARIAN BUTCHERÂ Â Â Â Â
Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher was another big casualty, losing almost a third of its lines, while meat-free classics Quorn and Linda McCartney’s lines were down by 6.6 and 6.7 per cent respectively.
