Published 18 March 2024 at 12.52
Domestic. The trend towards an increase in vegetarian consumption has been going on for many years. But now it seems to have slowed down, according to Axfood's Vegobarometer.
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Rachel Bråthén, an influencer with millions of followers under the name Yogagirl, chose to come out openly with her transition from veganism to including meat in her diet.
She states that the main reason she started eating meat again was because she felt she wasn't feeling well or wasn't getting what she should .
– When I ate my first egg it felt shameful, but in a short time I felt that I felt better, says Rachel Bråthén to SVT Nyheter.
This change led to her losing thousands of followers and even receiving death threats.
But Rachel Bråthén is not alone in having changed her diet. According to Axfood's annual Vegobarometer, the number of vegetarians and vegans remains stable at around eight percent. At the same time, the frequency of vegetarian days decreases in those who identify themselves as flexitarians (eat meat sometimes).
Åsa Domeij, head of sustainability at Axfood and former environmentalist, speculates whether this trend may be related to an increased awareness of the origin and content of food.
– When you think of vegetarian protein substitutes, some wonder where they come from. And are there additives in them? Of course, this does not apply to all vegetarian food, but there may be some who think about it a little and then are not as hungry anymore, she tells SVT.
Rachel Bråthén reflects on the idealized image of vegans as “better people” and how she herself was a part of it.
– There is an idea that vegans are better people and I was definitely a part of that. I preached about what others should eat, but I will never do that again. I will not define myself by what I have on my plate, she tells SVT.
Vegobarometer
“I eat vegetarian 2-6/days a week”:< /p>
2016 19%
2017 22%
2018 24%
2019 28%
2020 29%
2021 30%
2022 32 %
2023 27%
Source: Axfoods Vegobarometer 2016-2023/Verian (formerly Kantar/Public) 1,169 respondents in Sifo's web panel.