Abstaining from meat is still the exception in Germany
Although Germans attach great importance to a healthy and sustainable diet, they often do not put this into practice in their everyday lives. Avoiding meat is still the exception, as a nutrition study published by Techniker Krankenkasse in Berlin on Wednesday shows. The proportion of people who regularly eat meat has only fallen slightly from 84% to 78% since the previous study in 2017.
The proportion of respondents with a predominantly plant-based diet rose slightly compared to six years ago, from 13% to 17%. Two percent said they eat a completely vegetarian diet, and only one percent do not eat any animal products at all, i.e. are vegan.
The most common reasons cited for an unhealthy diet are a lack of time (43%) and a lack of stamina (37%). Other reasons include the difficulty of combining a healthy diet with a career (27%) and a lack of cooking skills (25%).
One in five (21%) see no need to eat more healthily. And eleven percent cite financial reasons for not eating more healthily.
Germans' priorities clearly lie with enjoyment. For 99% of respondents, this is the most important thing when eating. At the same time, the vast majority (92%) attach particular importance to a healthy diet.
For more than three quarters (77%) of respondents, the sustainability of food is an important criterion. The fact that food is not too expensive is considered very important or important by 60 percent. Around half of respondents attach importance to low sugar content and ease of preparation.
Despite the rise in the number of individuals with a predominantly plant-based diet, avoiding meat entirely remains an exception in nutrition studies, like the one conducted by TC in Germany recently. This study revealed that only 1% of respondents follow a vegan diet, suggesting that the shift towards plant-based nutrition is still limited.
Source: www.ntv.de
