The number of Italians who choose not to eat meat is increasing. “7.2% of Italians are vegetarian, followed by 2.3% of those who declare themselves vegan. 5% say they have been vegetarian before. Among the advantages of this diet there would be the sensation of a better physical condition (86.4%)”. But above all, “the trend of those who declare themselves vegetarian is growing compared to last year (+3%), reversing the negative trend started in 2021 and marking the highest value recorded in the 10 years considered”. This is the photograph taken on the 36th Eurispes Italy reportreleased today.
Those who declare themselves vegan are “instead stable compared to 2023: it almost seems that we can start to consider the percentage value of just under 2.5% as a consolidated value in the population, if we exclude the decline in 2022. Interesting – yes law in the report – is to evaluate the ten-year change in the percentage of the vegan population: between 2014 and 2024 the vegan sample detected quadrupled“.
If “86.4% of the sample who declared themselves vegetarian/vegan stated” that they felt better physically – underlines Eurispes – 73.3% “claimed” to maintain their ideal weight more easily. Even the creativity in the kitchen seems to benefit from it, according to 66.5% of those interviewed. The only disadvantage is nostalgia for “the flavors of traditional food: 39.8% regret them”.
“36.1% of vegetarians/vegans ‘never’ feel bothered in the presence of people who eat meat/fish, but overall 63.8% say they are ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ or ‘always’ Only 23.6% have never noticed a negative and intolerant attitude towards them, while as many as 76.4% report episodes of this type, although with different frequency”, highlights the Eurispes survey. On the other hand, “86.8% of those who are omnivores declare that they feel not at all or slightly bothered in the presence of people who follow a vegetarian/vegan diet; however, there is a share, even if a minority, of those who feel very and quite annoying (13.2%)”.
The survey of Italians at the table also explored habits in relation to the intake of certain ‘free’ foods, asking interviewees whether they buy foods free of gluten, lactose, yeast, eggs and sugar. “The most consumed – it turns out – are lactose-free foods (30.9%), 19.8% of which are purchased by those who are not intolerant. This is followed by sugar-free foods (25%), gluten-free (21% ), without yeast (18.3%) and without eggs (13.8%). Those who purchase them are mainly those who are not intolerant, compared to those who have a certified intolerance”, concludes Eurispes.
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