25% Of Brits Would Not Date Someone Because Of Their Diet, Scots Are The Most Relaxed About It - New Research

What you eat counts a lot when dating someone. If your latest crush is vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or pescatarian, the best way, it seems, to get their attention is to go plant-based.

Vegans are 70% more likely to date you if you have the same diet, and almost half of vegetarians (49%) will be more likely to swipe right if you’re a plant eater. Then a quarter (25%) of pescatarians and flexitarians feel the same.

Research of 2,000 UK adults reveals that over a quarter of Brits (25%) would not date someone based on what they eat. 

London is the hardest place to get a dinner date as people there are the most picky. 41% Londoners would reject someone based on their diet. The eating habits don't matter to 80% of Scots, 79% of the Welsh and 78% of those in the South East or South West. 

Also the youngest people are the pickiest about their date’s dining decisions. Over a third of 18–34-year-olds would consider declining a date based on what that person eats, this is compared to just 17% of the over 55s.

15% of respondents also admit they’d only date people with the same diet as them. This increases amongst those with specific diets - 45% of vegans, 38% of vegetarians, and 23% of flexitarians. 

Once again, the younger demographics are the most difficult when it comes to choosing who to date. 22% of 18-24 year olds will only match with partners that eat the same food as them, rising to a quarter (25%) of 25-34 year olds. This drops to just 5% amongst over 55s.

When asked what people’s biggest turn-ons were, when it comes to diet and dating - having a balanced diet (39%) is top of the list, followed by people that make sustainable choices (22%). Those that eat a lot of plant-based food (10%) are next, and finally people that eat less meat, cheese, and butter (8%).

Sustainable dietary choices were a bigger turn on for those between the ages of 18-34 than for any other age group and the same can be said for vegans (44%) than any other group with a specific diet.

The biggest turn off was someone that doesn’t care about animal welfare (28%) when it comes to what they eat, this was closely followed by someone that does not care about sustainable food choices (19%). Strangely, despite being a turn on, 16% said people that have an overly balanced diet is also a big turn off.

TV shows like Love Island and Too Hot to Handle also have an impact on what people eat and how they perceive themselves. 23% of people said watching these shows makes them want to work out more, and 16% said these shows make them feel embarrassed about their bodies.

Over a fifth of the UK said that TV affects their dinner, as it makes them want to have a more balanced diet. 11% also want to eat healthier, plant-based food, based on what they see on TV. 

The study was commissioned by a leading plant-based food producer Upfield. Upfield makes plant-based margarine, dairy-free cheeses, vegan spreads and butters. The company owns more than 100 brands, including Flora and Flora Plant, Flora ProActiv, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Elmlea and Violife. 

Damian Guha, General Manager of Upfield UK & Ireland said: “It’s interesting to see lots of Brits looking for other, like-minded people with similar diets and eating habits when it comes to dating. Making sustainable decisions and eating healthier plant-based food is an important step for us all to take when it comes to looking after ourselves and the planet. As such, it’s great to see plant-based diets bringing people together.

Making more sustainable choices or changing your diet can feel like a difficult task but there are easy changes you can make like choosing plant-based margarine over dairy butter. However, it isn’t surprising to see more and more people looking to find others that are in the same headspace. It can be motivating to find a partner who shares the same values and eating habits as yourself and, as the research shows, can be something to bond over.”