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The completeness of a vegetarian diet is often questioned. Nevertheless, the literature indicates that a well balanced vegetarian diet is often healthier since the prevalence of prosperity diseases is significantly lower in vegetarians compared to omnivores. A total of 24 vegetarian students were examined regarding food intake, several critical blood parameters, physical performance and anthropometrical measures. The vegetarian population was compared with 24 omnivorous students for the same parameters. A lower energy intake for the vegetarians compared to the non‐vegetarians was found. The distribution of the three macronutrients differed significantly between the two populations. Vitamin intake was comparable and within the recommended daily intake. A similar profile was found for the mineral intake. The blood profile showed significantly lower vitamin B12 values for the vegetarians compared to the non‐vegetarians but values were within the recommended limits. Physical performance and anthropometric were completely comparable between the two populations.

The recent food scares combined with the wide body of literature suggesting improved health status of vegetarians has apparently fuelled the growth in the number of vegetarians and semi/demi vegetarians. This expansion has been met by a considerable growth in the vegetarian convenience food market. A database of vegetarian convenience foods has been created which shows that there is a large and increasing number of vegetarian convenience foods available which show great within‐product ranges in terms of nutritional composition. The database indicates that vegetarian convenience foods are often high in fat and saturates and their consumption would not assist in meeting current dietary targets.

Despite the recent increase in vegetarian food consumption, studies on this topic have focused on the product category. Based on the functional theory of attitude and the cognitive–affective–conative framework, this study investigates the impact of customer individuality (i.e. uniqueness and level of self-monitoring) on cognitive attitude (i.e. social-function attitudes), which leads to conative attitude (i.e. behavioral intentions) via affective attitudes toward vegetarian restaurants.

The sample (n = 176) comprises experienced vegetarian restaurant customers in the USA. Multi-group analysis is used to examine differences between vegetarian and non-vegetarian customers, as well as customers' low and high frequency in visiting vegetarian restaurants.

Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this study finds the relative impact of customers' personal traits on self-expressive and social-adjustive functions. Results highlight the role of the social-adjustive function as an antecedent of affective attitudes leading to positive behavioral intentions. Last, the findings from a multi-group analysis show that customer self-monitoring is the only significant antecedent of a cognitive attitude among vegetarian customers.

The present study adds to the literature regarding trait attributes and corresponding cognitive, affective and conative attitudes in the context of the vegetarian food service industry.

Vegetarian diets are increasingly common worldwide. Vegetarianism is no longer just related to food, but rather it evokes a deeper meaning, such as environmental sustainability and animal welfare. In Western cultures, many studies have examined how vegetarians' motivations relate to animal welfare, health and environmentalism. However, there is little research in this area in Asia, especially in South Korea, despite a growing number of vegetarians. This study identifies the hierarchical value maps (HVMs) of vegetarians to clarify why people choose to become vegetarians and investigates the negative aspects of these dietary types.

The authors conducted in-depth, one-to-one laddering interviews with 33 vegetarians in South Korea based on the means-end chain theory. The laddering technique is a qualitative approach to determining connections between attributes, consequences and values.

Vegetarians tend to value an ethical lifestyle, sustainable future, ecological circulation, responsibility for nature, respect for life, respect for the weak and quality of life. HVM differs slightly among groups by the type of vegetarianism (vegan vs non-vegan vegetarians) and sex (females vs males). The most dominant cognitive structures toward vegetarian diets were “meat-free,” “no factory farming,” and “plant-based” (attributes); “health,” “environment-friendly” and “animal-friendly” (consequences); and “quality of life,” “ethical life,” and “sustainable future” (values).

This study offers insights into the motivations of Korean vegetarians, and they are not culturally different from those of Westerners as they relate to animals, the environment and health.

Vegetarianism is currently receiving more attention from the food industry than ever before. The campaign initiated by the NACNE and COMA Reports has created a new “health appeal”, resulting in an increased demand for vegetarian food, which is consumer‐driven. Product development in the vegetarian sector should, therefore, favour the use of vegetables and pulses rather than dairy products. Beans, nuts, seeds and grains are all the more appetising now because of the abundance of vegetables available to combine with them. Manufacturers should take the opportunity of an expanding market to provide imaginative, sumptuous products which truly do justice to the variety of colours, flavours and textures of pulses.

Previous empirical studies have not documented the link between vegetarians’ dietary constraints and travel intentions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to utilise a mixed-methods approach to examine the interrelationships of this group’s travel motivations, travel constraints, constraint negotiations and behavioural intentions, with special reference to how dietary constraints deter its members from travelling, and its extent.

An online questionnaire was administered to outbound Taiwanese vegetarian travellers (n=418), and this was followed by in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n=9) to complement the quantitative data.

The results indicated that vegetarians’ dietary constraints significantly deterred them from travelling in certain circumstances: notably, in the company of non-vegetarians. Nevertheless, it was found that some vegetarians efficiently negotiated their constraints and persisted in travelling, in some cases, by compromising their dietary preferences.

Travel agents and planners should explore more strategies to meet the needs of vegetarian travellers to increase this group’s travel satisfaction.

This study established the first theoretical model explaining the relationships among vegetarians’ travel motivations, dietary constraints, constraint negotiations and travel intentions.

The purpose of this paper is to understand non-vegetarian food consumption behavior, and factors affecting the same of the consumers of middle-sized market, where organized retailing is still at infancy.

A total of 182 households of two middle-sized cities of India were personally surveyed with a structured questionnaire. Simple statistical analysis such as frequency distribution, factor analysis and analysis of variance, logit regression were carried out to infer the required information.

Although an important constituent of the food, for most the consumers, purchase of non-vegetarian products were weekly, well planned, and family affairs. Assured good quality, followed by the meat preparation in front of the customers’ eye emerged important market attributes for selecting the store by the consumers. The study revealed that consumers were mainly dependent on search and credence attributes of the product for non-vegetarian food purchase decisions.

This paper analyses non-vegetarian food consumption food behavior of those customers, for whom non-vegetarian food is still considered as special food, and who belong to middle-sized cities where organized food retailing has just started.

The subject is relatively less researched in emerging markets where organized food retail is still at infancy, and where non-vegetarian foods are considered special.

The current paper aims to explore the attitudes of decision makers in restaurants in Puerto Rico toward vegetarian food, and examine the restaurants' orientation toward vegetarianism and the challenges they face in catering to vegetarian patrons.

A survey instrument was developed to include 21 items representing the various attitudes and views toward vegetarian food; restaurant characteristics; and participant's demographic information. A total of 92 face-to-face structured interviews were conducted among various independent family restaurants located in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The findings suggest that although the participants certainly recognize the value of vegetarian food for their restaurants, they are still unaware or uninformed about many issues related to vegetarianism and vegetarian customers. Moreover, the study also raises some worrying concerns as to the attentiveness of restaurants to the needs of vegetarians.

The study raised important practical implications for restaurants in San Juan and, potentially, for restaurants in other destinations that share the same challenges. Perhaps the most important implication that emerges is the need to educate the decision makers in restaurants (i.e. owners, managers and chefs) regarding critical issues related to vegetarians and vegetarian food.

The purpose of this study is to explore the internalized dimension of motivation under the Unified Model of Vegetarian Identity (UMVI) model, namely, personal and prosocial motivators, for vegetarianism that spurs economic growth in the Malaysian vegetarian market potential.

Semi-structured online questionnaire was adopted as the primary methodology from which a total of 163 respondents were obtained.

Both, personal and prosocial motivators do positively relate to the economic growth of the Malaysian vegetarian market potential. However, prosocial motivators has a greater impact with a beta coefficient of 0.374 compared to 0.273 for personal motivators.

Probable inaccurate representation of the entire vegetarian population in Malaysia. Time and resources available.

Practically, the Malaysian vegetarian society and Malaysian government bodies benefit from the study in ensuing promotion of environmental awareness in line with a vegetarian diet.

Lack of literature resources on vegetarianism in Malaysia led to the study contributing to an expansion of literature on the matter. This pioneer study benchmarks global literatures on motivators of vegetarianism and their impact on economy against the scarce literatures available in the Malaysian context. It contributes to the Malaysian economy and potential vegetarian restaurant start-ups wishing to enter the Malaysian vegetarian market. Theoretically, the theory of planned behaviour, utilitarian function and the UMVI were jointly utilised in explaining the motivators capturing Malaysian vegetarians' intention towards demand for vegetarian food.

Assesses how the mainstream availability and acceptability of vegetarian food has impacted on the organised vegetarian movement in the UK. Presents data collected during an ethnographic case study to show the dilemmas facing the leading UK vegetarian organisation during the mid‐1990s. In order to understand these dilemmas distinguishes between vegetarian food and the ideology of vegetarianism, using existing evidence about variability in diets, motives and organisational politics. When reflecting on the implications of the case study suggests that mainstream acceptance is a double‐edged sword that facilitates the adoption of the diet but threatens the moral foundations of the ideology.