Over the last few years, diets with less meat in them have increased hugely in popularity. For a range of reasons from health benefits to environmental benefits, many people, including younger generations are opting against meat in at least some of their meals. It’s expected that his trend will continue to surge in 2022.
Why exactly is this ‘new’ way of eating so popular?
The term that has been given to this new trendy way of eating – consuming meat less often and opting for more plant-based foods – is “flexitarianism”. The diet has become popular in recent years as more people are beginning to consider the impact of what they eat on their health and on the planet.
It’s been shown that reducing meat in your diet, especially red meats and processed meats, greatly reduces the risk of disease and illness when you’re older. As people become more conscious of this at an earlier age than ever before, it means that more people are reducing their intake of these foods.
What’s more is the environmental impact of eating meat regularly. Younger generations are more environmentally aware than all of their predecessors, prioritising the impact of what they buy and eat on their eco-friendliness factors. Given that red meats, processed meats and fish have higher footprints than a lot of other foods, it makes sense that they are being limited within diets.
The stats on meat consumption
Livestock agriculture drives 80% of the world’s deforestation
Livestock production produces a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions
Eating one burger is the equivalent of taking daily showers for a month
Meat production takes up 30% of the world’s fresh water usage
The menus at Hobbs which cater to this trend
At Hobbs, we’re aware of this trend and the necessity to reduce meat consumption – both for the health of the planet, and of students. That’s why our pre-planned 3 menu system incorporates a wide array of vegetarian options, salads and whilst also trialling meat-free Mondays.
The balanced meals that we have created are perfect for all students, including those who are conscious about consuming less meat, helping everyone to develop a healthy lifestyle and protecting the environment for the future of all current students.
