Appetite for veganism, baking and long-life food is growing, survey suggests

A quarter of 21 to 30-year-olds say the idea of going vegan has become more appealing to them since the coronavirus pandemic started, a survey has found.

Some 25% of people in this age group feel this way, according to research from Mintel.

One in eight (12%) people across the survey said a vegan diet had become more attractive to them.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of people surveyed said they have been eating more fruit and vegetables since the start of the outbreak, with people aged 40 and under being the most likely to say they are keeping their fridges well-stocked.

Nearly two fifths (37%) of people said the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted them to try to add more nutrients that support the immune system to their diet.

Alex Beckett, associate director, Mintel Food and Drink, said: “Even before the spread of Covid-19, we were seeing a growing interest in plant-based food and drink across global markets.

“It may well be that the pandemic is accelerating this trend.”

Some 37% of people believe that, in the long term, shoppers will buy long-life products such as tinned food more often, with 17% saying they have been eating more tinned food since the Covid-19 outbreak started.

Nearly seven in 10 (69%) people said the outbreak had encouraged them to waste less food at home.

Coronavirus also appears to have created a long-term interest in cooking and baking as more than half (55%) plan on cooking more from scratch post-Covid-19 than they did before.

Some 2,000 people across Britain were surveyed during April and May.