Skip to content

Americans’ choice when voting says a lot about their diet, survey suggests

Americans eating preferences reflect their political leaning, and it’s been the same for years, according to a survey.

The same survey found that people’s choice of food also changes with several factors, including their income and gender.

Grocery Shopping With Reusable Shopping Bag At Supermarket
Credit: Oscar Wong | Getty Images

More liberals consider themselves vegetarians

Gallup’s Consumption Habits Poll from October last year showed that about 9% of respondents who identified as liberals consider themselves vegetarians.

As far as other political ideologies are considered, the same percentage (3%) of respondents identifying themselves as Moderates and Conservatives said they prefer vegetarian food.

Meanwhile, about 7% of people with lower income (less than $40,000 per annum) prefer vegetarian food, compared to 4% of middle-class ($40,000-$99,999) and 3% of Americans with upper income (($100,000 or more).

The other key factor observed in the survey reflects the eating habits associated with specific gender roles, which we revealed earlier using a different study.

Women are three times more likely to say they like a vegetarian diet than men with the results at 6% and 2% respectively.

Eating preferences have been stable for years

The polls from previous years including 2012 and 2018 showed similar eating preferences among American people, with a slight decline in recent years.

While 6% of the people considered themselves vegetarian in 1999 and 2001, it came down to 4% in the last year.

About 1% of the population is considered to be vegetarians and vegan; otherwise, they identify as one or the other.

Despite the advent of plant-based products as meat substitutes, the majority of the population prefers a non-vegetarian diet.

“But these changes have not been met with an increase in Americans adoption of vegetarian or vegan diets, as less than 5% of U.S. adults follow either eating approach,” the survey notes.