There are lots of reasons people choose to stop eating meat. Some people do it for the animals, while others are thinking of the environment… but it seems there is now a brand new reason to try a plant-based lifestyle (and it probably isn’t what you’d expect!).
Shocking New Research
Two recent studies found that vegetarians and vegans tend to get more matches and messages when they are online dating. In fact, one study found that the average number of messages increased by over 70%!
In the past vegetarianism was more niche, with many people assuming it was attached to a ‘hippy’ lifestyle, but it has exploded in popularity over the last decade. There are more vegans and vegetarians than ever before, partially due to trends such as ‘Veganuary’.
But what does this mean for the online dating world?
Vegetarians And Vegans Get More Matches
One study found that vegans got twice as many matches when compared to meat eaters. The study used two identical pictures of the same man; the only difference is in one picture his top says ‘vegan’, while in the other picture the top reads ‘bacon’. This profile was matched with tens of thousands of people across the UK and Australia, and in both countries the ‘vegan’ got twice as many matches.
And if you’re a vegetarian? The results are very similar. A second study (that used over 230,000 participants) found that people who use the words “vegetarian” and “veggie” in their profiles received significantly more messages than users who didn’t have those words on their profile.
Vegetarian Or Vegan: Which Is More Popular?
It seems that both veganism and vegetarianism are both seen as highly attractive traits to have. Both are more likely to get matches and messages – but interestingly vegetarians do receive more messages.
Changing Perspectives
This news may come as a shock to vegetarians and vegans across the globe. A third study found that over 50% of vegans and vegetarians don’t mention their diet on their dating profile, fearing that it will scare potential matches off. Some people also worried about being seen as a picky eater.
However it seems this is far from the case! This is likely due to changing attitudes; documentaries such as Cowspiracy are hugely popular, and trends such as Veganuary attract tens of thousands of people every year.
How To Make A Vegetarian-Omnivore Romance Work
If you are a meat eater and you are worried about matching with a vegetarian, think about how you could make the relationship work. If you cook together you could make the same sauce, but then add different proteins (for instance, you could add chicken to yours and your date could add tofu to theirs). It doesn’t have to be a problem, especially if you are both open-minded and respectful towards each other.
