Nostalgia and family traditions are major barriers to adoption of plant-based diets, Stirling study finds

Nostalgia is a major barrier in preventing more people from adopting plant-based diets, according to a new University of Stirling study. 

Research led by Aga Kosla of the University’s Faculty of Natural Sciences found that links to childhood, cultural identity and a sense of home can make dietary changes feel like a loss of self or tradition for many people. 

Findings showed that people’s attachment was less often about meat itself – and more about links to personal experiences and cultural traditions. 

Lead author Ms Kosla said: “Our research shows that dietary change is not just a practical or nutritional issue. Food is tied to identity, belonging, and family life, so vegan advocacy, activism, and public health messaging needs to engage with those emotional and cultural attachments. 

Importance of tradition

“This study highlights that resistance to plant-based diets is not simply about taste or convenience, but about maintaining continuity with the past and preserving meaningful traditions. Interestingly, participants often realised that it was the shared experience, not the specific ingredient, that mattered most.” 

Efforts to encourage people to adopt either a plant-based diet or a vegan lifestyle often focus on health, ethics, animal rights or the environment – overlooking personal and social connections to food. 

Researchers believe that the findings could help producers, campaigners and public health organisations make plant-based options feel less like a loss, by recreating nostalgic or culturally significant dishes using vegan ingredients. 

Nostalgia

The study interviewed 24 regular meat consumers to explore their attitudes and memories related to food. The data was then analysed using a technique called reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data and researchers then developed themes to explain their findings. 

This method of analysis embraces the positionality and lived experience of the researchers. This is important for research in contested areas, being open and transparent about any bias or prior belief each researcher holds. 

Nostalgic foods – such as turkey at Christmas – were strongly linked to family gatherings, celebrations, and cultural identities, and this initially acted as a barrier to change. 

However, when participants were asked to reflect more deeply, many became more open to vegan alternatives, especially if those foods could recreate the same social experience or emotional meaning. 

The study also found that friends were seen as more flexible and accommodating of plant-based diets or vegan lifestyles than family, where traditional food practices appeared harder to change and had a greater potential for conflict. 

Dr Carol Jasper of the University of Stirling

Psychologist Dr Carol Jasper, a committed vegan and primary supervisor for the project, added: “Recreating nostalgic or culturally significant dishes using vegan ingredients can make dietary change feel more accessible. This could also help reduce the social barriers people face, particularly in family settings. 

“Like culinary traditions from the past, the food of the future, crafted without the inclusion of meat and other animal-derived ingredients, may also evoke a sense of nostalgia and encourage the creation of new customs that can resonate with and enrich future generations.” 

Looking Back and Feeding Forward: An Analysis of Food Nostalgia on Meat Eaters' Attitudes Toward Transitioning to a Vegan Lifestyle is published in PHAIR - Psychology of Human-Animal Interaction.