Half of Britons would rather give up alcohol for a month than be vegan, survey claims

People would rather give up alcohol for a month than avoid meat and dairy products, according to a new survey of 2,000 British adults.

Always being hungry, wasting hours planning meal times and feeling irritable was also found to be among the most common misconceptions about what life is like as a vegan, according to the poll.

Many respondents also agreed that vegans are "not able to eat in many restaurants" and have to take back-up options with them as "nowhere caters for vegans".

However, 20 per cent said they would quite like to try veganism, but have avoided doing so as they think the options are "boring".

“Despite veganism’s rise in popularity, many Brits believe there aren’t enough vegan alternatives to keep a plant-based lifestyle interesting and enjoyable," said Simon Orchard, UK country manager at vegan cheese brand Violife, which commissioned the survey.

The survey also found that one in 10 respondents believe vegans are "permanently in a mood", and a further one in five believe they are always hungry.

Almost 30 per cent of respondents said they don’t know exactly what goes into a vegan diet, with 22 per cent thinking vegans can eat honey, and 31 per cent believing they can not eat lettuce.

In addition, 16 per cent said they did not know whether sugar-free chocolate is suitable for vegans.

Another tenth said they think vegans can eat jelly – which contains gelatine, a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water.

One in five of those surveyed said they would "miss cheese more than anything" if they were to become vegan.

Thirty-four per cent said they would struggle to go without meat, and a tenth said they would find it hard to give up chocolate.

Nearly half said they think it is difficult to find a dairy-free alternative to cheese that they enjoy the taste of.

According to the survey, the dish most likely to tempt vegans away from following a plant-based diet is a ploughman’s lunch, followed by pasta bake, and cheese on toast.

SWNS