Seeing Animals, Choosing Plants: Evidence from a Cafeteria Field Study on Food Choice

Reducing meat consumption is a priority for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the climate crisis. Past research reveals that reminders of meat’s animal origins can reduce self-reported willingness to consume meat. Less clear is whether such reminders affect natural, real-world behavior. In the present field study, images of living animals were placed alongside the corresponding meat-based dishes on a cafeteria menu at a British university (e.g., a cow next to beef bolognese, a pig next to pork gyros, and a chicken next to sweet and sour chicken). Unobtrusive sales data were collected across two periods: a baseline period and an intervention period with a matched menu (without photos). Analysis of 3,674 meal sales revealed a significant increase in vegetarian choices, with the odds of selecting a vegetarian meal 22% higher during the intervention ( vs . baseline) period. Effects were consistent across meat types. The present findings provide behavioral evidence that visual cues linking meat to its animal origins can influence real-world food choices, helping bridge the gap between laboratory research and applied behavioral evidence. • Animal images on menus increased vegetarian meal selection in a cafeteria. • Odds of choosing vegetarian meals rose 22% during the intervention period. • Simple, neutral images linking meat to animals can shift real-world choices.