The team behind the survey has launched a guide to finding the best meat-free dishes at restaurants

A growing number of people are reducing their meat intake (Photo: © tazcatphoto)

More than a quarter of Brits (28 percent) identify as 'meat reducers', according to a study out today - with almost a third (32 percent) of Londoners identifying as such.

Of those who identified as meat reducers in the survey, 26 percent cut down on meat in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint, and 15 percent want to reduce de-forestation.

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Eating out

The survey was carried out by More Than Carrots - which has analyzed restaurant menus to create the first veggie guide for meat-eaters in response to the desire of UK consumers to eat less meat.

According to the organization: "Restaurants have some way to go before creating better choices for meat-reducing Brits, with over one in five (22 percent) meat-reducers disagreeing that restaurants make it easier for diners to eat less meat.

"Seven in 10 (73 percent) have avoided a restaurant or would avoid a restaurant due to its lack of non-meat options."

?More than a quarter of Brits are actively reducing their meat intake

Supporting meat reducers

In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Constantine Sandis, Professor of Philosophy at University Hertfordshire and author of The Things We Do and Why We Do Them said: "Dining out can make it difficult for people to avoid eating meat, especially when they are in a group of meat eaters at a restaurant with poor alternatives.

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"However, when a decent variety of vegetarian and vegan options is available, this normalises opting out of meat and makes it easier for people to do so.

"Restaurants have a big role to play in helping us to reduce our meat consumption. They can do so simply by providing menus which enable diners to avoid meat without having to make a statement of some kind."

Climate change

Annette Burgard, Founder of More Than Carrots, added: "Climate change is at a tipping point and a lot of people are beginning to realise the enormous impact that reducing meat in their diet can have on the environment.

"Eating less meat is the one action every one of us can take every day and that is 100 percent in our control. However, we have found that people struggle, especially at restaurants. To help them, we are providing the first guide that enables diners to directly compare restaurants, and visit the ones that make it easy for them to choose the most appealing veggie option.

"We have compiled this list by using an algorithm to analyse and score restaurant menus reliably and at scale. Our criteria are based on research from third-party studies and our own qualitative analysis of meat reducers’ behaviour. We are starting in London today, but our ambition is to roll out our solution UK-wide."