Nearly 12 million Brits are intending to be fully meat-free by the end of the year, according to a new study.
According to research by finder.com, 6.7 million people in the UK – roughly 10% of the total population – already enjoy a meat-free lifestyle.
A further 5.3 million – around 7% of the population - say they're planning to have joined them in cutting out meat entirely by the end of the year.
Though many of us are already looking up affordable vegan lunchbox options, the research found that more Brits are aiming to become vegetarian than vegan.
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Around 2.5 million Brits say they're intending to give up meat and fish by the end of the year, while 1.7 million say they're aiming to become pescatarian by giving up meat but not fish.
A further 1 million say they're planning to become vegan by giving up all meat, fish and all dairy products.
The study also found that the generation most likely to have already given up meat are millennials. Around 15% of people in this age group, who are generally said to be between 23 and 38 years old, say they've already adopted a meat-free lifestyle.
Slightly more women than men in the UK have gone meat-free so far, the study found.
"Although a lot of people seem to have struggled to make the permanent switch to a meat-free diet over the past 12 months, this year’s findings echo our previous research in showing that adopting a veggie diet is a high priority for the UK," Georgia-Rose Johnson of finder.com said in response to the results.
“Meat-free diets and being ‘flexitarian’ are getting more media exposure than ever so you would expect these positive trends to continue growing."
If you're aiming to cut back on your meat consumption this year, check out our recent guide to yummy vegan recipes that will warm you up on cold winter nights.
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