In the new study, published today in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, researchers asked cafeteria managers at six worksites across England to replace one meat-based lunch option with a vegetarian dish, while keeping the total number of main meal choices, prices and everything else the same. Customers were not told about the change, and meat options were still always available.
Over seven weeks, the intervention covered 26,170 meal sales across six sites. They found a 41% increase in the likelihood of customers choosing a vegetarian main meal during the intervention period.
Meals sold during the intervention were also healthier and more sustainable on average. They contained around 26 fewer calories – about one cup of tea with milk and a teaspoon of sugar, as well as lower levels of saturated fat and salt. The environmental footprint of meals also decreased, including a reduction of 160g CO2-equivalent per meal - roughly an 8.5% drop compared with baseline – alongside reductions in biodiversity loss, water pollution potential and water scarcity, based on ingredient-level estimates.
Importantly, the menu change did not negatively affect business performance. The researchers found no evidence of reduced revenue, fewer meals sold or increased food waste.
This is the first trial to test this type of availability intervention in workplace cafeterias. It included both office-based and manual labour workforces across manufacturing and logistics sectors, suggesting the approach is effective in diverse real-world environments.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences website.