Plant-Based Eating Among Brazilian University Students

Plant-based diets have been at the core of the debate on food and food systems, given their benefits to both health and the environment. In this study, plant-based diets are understood as those in which animal products are reduced or eliminated — namely, flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets. The study focused on university students in Brazil, exploring the factors that influence their decision to adopt, or not to adopt, a plant-based diet. Specifically, the researchers examined the relationship between plant-based eating and students’ motivations, challenges, and sociodemographic characteristics.

The research was conducted between March and April 2023 with 815 university students across three campuses of the Federal University of the Southern Border. Students completed an in-class questionnaire that gathered their sociodemographic data as well as information on their meat consumption, connection with nature, and political ideology. Using Likert scales, the questionnaire also measured their:

• Pro-environmental behaviors (e.g., turning off lights when not needed, using public transportation, participating in environmental protests or public events, avoiding meat and other animal products);
• Motivation to adopt a meat-restricted diet (e.g., animal rights, boycott of the meat industry, health, religion, weight loss, influence of family and friends, not liking the taste of meat); and
• Actual or perceived challenges in adopting a meat-restricted diet (e.g., difficulty in becoming and staying veg*n, eating out, finding plant-based foods, preparing meatless meals, facing prejudice, exercising self-control).

Finally, students reported their dietary pattern according to definitions provided by the researchers:

• Flexitarian: eats meat no more than once a week
• Pescovegetarian: eats fish and seafood but not meat
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats dairy and eggs but not meat, fish, or seafood
• Vegan/strict vegetarian: eats a completely plant-based diet
• Omnivore: eats meat and meat products, fish, seafood, and plant foods
• Organic omnivore: eats organic meat, milk, and plant foods

For the analysis, the researchers grouped the four non-omnivore categories together as plant-based diets.

The findings revealed that nearly 10% of students currently followed a plant-based diet: just over 4% identified as flexitarian, while roughly 5% were veg*n. Almost 17% of the total sample had previously been veg*n, with most (56%) remaining so for less than six months. Only 3% of students reported following this dietary pattern for more than three years.

Most students saw health professionals’ views on veg*n diets as neutral (66%), though almost as many said professionals actively discouraged (19%) as encouraged (16%) these diets. Although most students (66.5%) perceived no risks in following a veg*n diet, those who did expressed concerns about nutritional deficiencies, a lack of nutritional monitoring, the need for supplementation, and the cost of plant-based food. Of the students who had been veg*n at some point, the vast majority (94.5%) hadn’t consulted a health professional about the diet.

For students who were omnivores, adhering to the diet (77%), staying on it (81%), and exercising self-control (72%) were seen as the biggest challenges of a meat-restricted diet. In contrast, students already following a plant-based diet found these far less difficult (22%, 28%, and 18%, respectively). Instead, they highlighted the challenges of eating out (42%) and finding suitable food options in supermarkets and restaurants (37%). Omnivores also saw finding food as a challenge (40%), but rated preparing meatless meals as more difficult than students on a plant-based diet did (43% versus 14%).

Interestingly, both groups had similar views when it came to facing prejudice for following a meat-restricted diet. Roughly a quarter of omnivores (25%) and those on a plant-based diet (24%) reported it as “difficult” or “very difficult.”

Pro-environmental behaviors and animal rights were key drivers in adopting a meat-restricted diet. Boycotting the meat industry and disliking the taste of meat also played a role. Students who ate plant-based for more than six months had higher average pro-environmental scores than either omnivores or those who remained on a plant-based diet for less than six months.

Of all the sociodemographic variables tested, only political ideology was significantly linked to a plant-based dietary pattern. Around 69% of plant-based students identified as left-leaning (far left, left, or center left), compared to 48% of omnivores. The pattern reversed on the right, with just 11.5% of plant-based students identifying as right-leaning (center right, right, or far right) versus 23% of omnivores.

Because concern for the environment was identified as one of students’ main motivations to adopt a plant-based diet, the authors emphasize the importance of raising awareness about the connection between dietary styles and climate change. They recommend introducing this information from an early age in educational settings, and reaching the public through multiple channels such as food labels and media. Another aspect highlighted by the research is the need for broader awareness of what constitutes a balanced plant-based diet to dispel concerns about the potential nutritional risks. Finally, the accessibility of plant-based foods and the skills needed to prepare meatless meals are important challenges to address to help people both switch to and stay on a plant-based diet.