Exploring the Intersection Between Diet and Self-Identity: A Cross-Sectional Study With Australian Adults

The Importance of Self-Identities and Habitual Behavior for Eating More Plant Foods

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify the predictors of eating more plant-based foods and legumes in terms of previous changes in consumption, habitual frequency of consumption, intention to reduce the amount of meat consumed, and health and environmental identities.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and September 2023 in 881 Polish adults. Based on two self-descriptors, four groups of respondents were identified: no health identity and no environmental identity (nHI-nEI), health identity but no environmental identity (HI-nEI), no health identity but environmental identity (nHI-EI), and both health identity and environmental identity (HI-EI). A logistic regression analysis was used to verify associations between habitual eating of red meat, white meat, and legumes, changes in their intake over the past two years, familiarity with plant-based substitutes for animal products, health, and environmental identity, declared intentions to eat less meat, and the intentions to eat more plant-based food and eat more legumes next year.

RESULTS

Individuals were more likely to increase their consumption of plant foods (OR: 1.99, p = 0.001), including legumes (OR: 1.79, p = 0.045), when they represented the HI-EI group, had increased their consumption of legumes in the past two years (OR: 2.91, p = 0.009, and OR: 2.15, p = 0.017, respectively), declared an intention to reduce meat (OR: 8.02, p < 0.001, and OR: 12.08, p < 0.001, respectively), but also occasionally consumed plant-based meat substitutes (OR: 1.76, p = 0.002, and OR: 2.61, p < 0.001, respectively). However, individuals were more likely to increase their consumption of plant foods, but not legumes, if they currently consumed legumes frequently (OR: 1.36, p = 0.009, and OR: 1.22, p = 0.111, respectively) and had previously limited their consumption of red meat (OR: 2.40, p < 0.001, and OR: 1.09, p = 0.717, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The habitual frequency of eating red and white meat did not predict the increased consumption of plant foods in the future. It is equally important to increase people's awareness of the impact of the food they consume on health and the environment to support their health and pro-environmental motivation for food choices. Public health and sustainability campaigns should develop new methods to reach populations less willing to change.

Consumption of Pulses among Chilean Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of consumption, access to purchase, and type of preparations with pulses among people who eat a vegetarian/vegan or non-vegetarian diet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cross-sectional surveys were distributed using different digital platforms and social networks. We investigated the frequency of consumption, access to purchase any type of preparations. Descriptive analyses were performed. Differences between the types of diet were tested by Chi-squared statistics.

A total of 3339 adults participated in the survey in March 2021, 80% of the total participants were females; 13.6% were vegetarian or vegan (VV). The consumption of pulses increased by 25% among non-vegetarians and 54.5% in VV (p by 25% among non-vegetarians and 54.5% in VV (vey in March 2021, 80% of the total participants were females; 13.6% were vegetarian or vegan (VV). The consumption of pulses preparations. Descriptive analyses were performfood with high satiating power, when compared with the opinions of non-vegetarians (p ood with high satiating power, when cconsumption of pulses were observed in less than 30% of the respondents, but the percentage was lower among VV, the most common negative beliefs are "They are difficult to prepare" and "My family does not like them." Food preparations including pulses are more diverse among VV, and consumption being significantly higher in the 10 alternatives of preparations included in the study.

These results highlight the importance of identifying the knowledge, practices, frequency, and preferences of consumption of legumes in the population to stimulate their consumption. Although we observed an increase in the consumption of legumes among those in the sample, the VV group showed a higher frequency of consumption, consumption of different types of legumes and varied preparation, and greater knowledge about the beneficial properties of legumes.