UK: Nostalgia and tradition linked to resistance to vegan diets

From stirlingnews.co.uk

Fond memories of childhood meals and family gatherings are keeping people from switching to plant-based diets 

A study from the University of Stirling has found that nostalgic connections to food are a key reason many remain resistant to adopting vegan or plant-based eating habits.

The research, led by Aga Kosla from the faculty of natural sciences, reveals that the reluctance to change is less about the food itself and more about what it represents, a sense of home, identity, and tradition.

Ms Kosla said: "Our research shows that dietary change is not just a practical or nutritional issue.

"Food is tied to identity, belonging, and family life, so vegan advocacy, activism, and public health messaging needs to engage with those emotional and cultural attachments.

"This study highlights that resistance to plant-based diets is not simply about taste or convenience, but about maintaining continuity with the past and preserving meaningful traditions.

"Interestingly, participants often realised that it was the shared experience, not the specific ingredient, that mattered most."

The study interviewed 24 regular meat consumers to explore their attitudes and memories related to food (Image: University of Stirling)

The study involved interviews with 24 regular meat eaters who were asked to reflect on their attitudes and memories related to food.

Researchers used reflexive thematic analysis to identify common themes across the responses.

Nostalgic foods, such as Christmas turkey or family recipes, were found to play a significant role in shaping people’s food choices.

Participants often described these meals as tied to celebrations, cultural identity, and a sense of belonging.

However, when participants were asked to reflect more deeply, many became more open to vegan alternatives, especially if those foods could recreate the same social experience or emotional meaning.

Researchers believe these findings could help improve the way vegan and plant-based options are promoted to the public.

By focusing on recreating familiar, culturally meaningful dishes with vegan ingredients, producers and campaigners may be able to make the transition feel less like a loss.

The study also found that friends were more likely than family to be flexible and supportive of plant-based diets.

Traditional food practices within families were seen as harder to change and potentially more conflict-ridden.

Psychologist Dr Carol Jasper, who supervised the project, said: "Recreating nostalgic or culturally significant dishes using vegan ingredients can make dietary change feel more accessible.

"This could also help reduce the social barriers people face, particularly in family settings.

"Like culinary traditions from the past, the food of the future, crafted without the inclusion of meat and other animal-derived ingredients, may also evoke a sense of nostalgia and encourage the creation of new customs that can resonate with and enrich future generations."

https://www.stirlingnews.co.uk/news/26418712.nostalgia-tradition-linked-resistance-vegan-diets/

Where do vegans turn after restaurant closures?

From laist.com

By Ezra Salkin

It always sucks when your favourite L.A. restaurant closes. Multiply that feeling tenfold if you happen to be vegan and already live as an outlier. While Los Angeles has long been seen as a hub for plant eaters, lately, not everyone has felt that way.

Donna Jean, an Italian-inspired vegan restaurant in Sherman Oaks, which shuttered at the end of 2025, was just one L.A. restaurant to close in recent years. Chef Roy Elam opened Donna Jean, which became a beloved community staple, in 2022, naming it in honour of his mother who died of breast cancer but switched to a vegan diet in her final months, in lieu of another round of chemo. The restaurant became known for preparing all its pizzas, pastas and sauces from scratch while using top-notch ingredients. 

                                                  Donna Jean's sitting vacant on Woodman Ave, after closing in December.    (

Ezra Salkin

/

LAist

)

“It really felt like a small-time kind of community restaurant in a lot of ways,” said Josh McClain, a former manager, going as far as calling it a “lifeline” for certain customers with niche allergies.

In spite of its dedicated fanbase, at the end of the day the restaurant just never was able to expand beyond them, said Elam, who still operates the original Donna Jean restaurant in San Diego.

“We could have a $10,000 day and that would be our whole entire week, and every other day would be, like, $0.”

It’s a problem spread across the local landscape. Other notable vegan restaurants in the Valley to have closed over the last five years include Krimsey’s, Mamicon’s Vegan Mexican Restaurant, Sugar Taco and the Van Nuys location of Grain Cafe.

It got us thinking .... What do plant-based diners do when their favourite restaurants go away? Stay home and cook? Eat vegan dishes at omnivore restaurants? Give up the lifestyle altogether? We spoke to a handful of vegan Los Angeles diners to get a better grasp.

Veganism out of fashion?

McClain, a former manager at Donna Jean, became vegan during the last five years of Covid, initially due to supply-chain fears related to the availability of meat. He does believe there’s substance behind conversations about veganism going out of fashion. Post Donna Jean, rather than eating out, he and his girlfriend have been staying home, disconnecting — as much as possible — “from the structures of agriculture,” he said.

The couple have started the practice of homesteading, making their own tofu, sourdough, soy and oat milk, continually dialling in and refining their processes, as being vegan “can get pretty expensive,” he said.

 “Typically, most people that are vegan, they have the time to be able to do so," he added. "They have the money to be able to do so. They have the time to figure out dishes, test, and experiment."

He acknowledged that it’s only in recent history that vegans have been able to go out and enjoy restaurants like everyone else. To do it at home, he admits: “It’s a privileged position.”

                                                             Donna Jean, when it was open and serving customers.   (Courtesy Donna Jean)

Natural correction

Eric Eichelberger, a local filmmaker who’s been vegetarian across different cities since 1994, has the hindsight of remembering what it was like before the boom of the 2010s. What’s happening now is a natural correction, he said, and nothing to be overly concerned about.

“There was a fad of opening vegan restaurants. And so there became, just like anything, too many to really support the people who were vegan, vegetarian, whatever,” he said. “It’s now back to a reasonable amount.”

That doesn’t mean Eichelberger hasn’t lost some of his go-tos. Real Food Daily comes to mind, but he stands by a simple truism: “If you have a great price point and you have great food, you're going to survive.”

He also added that places that have maintained a hippy, punk or political approach have done better, with some spots having been around for decades.

For example, he points to Studio City’s Leonors Organic (which opened in 1985), and Oh Happy Day Vegan Café and Grocery (in 1977), which sadly burnt down during the Altadena fires, though the owner is reportedly looking for a new location.

“It’s all these sort of vegan, Bacari-like kind of places that are closed now,” he said, referring to the hip — and pricey — Silver Lake omnivore restaurant. Veggie Grill is always a dependable option, he said. (One of their locations closed in the Valley, as well.)

Vegan heaven

Jacinda, a customer care associate for a plant-based brand, has been a strict vegan for 16 years. (She declined to give her last name for personal safety reasons). Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, she’s one of the optimists. “L.A. is [still] vegan heaven,” she said.

As someone who likes to eat her way around town, “Every time I see one [restaurant] close, I see a new one open,” she said. “[To this day] I don’t know how somebody could go eat at every vegan restaurant here.” 

Still, every closure, like her local favourite Hijo De Su Madre, is “heartbreaking,” she added.

But what if all the restaurants did close? “It's just not an option to change either,” she said. “We will do whatever we have to do [to stay vegan]. If we have to eat beans and corn bread at home, then that's what we're going to do.”

Supper clubs baby!

Jef Travis, a hospitality professional, has been vegan since 1991, taking on the lifestyle initially as a form of rebellion against his father who insisted on taking him hunting as a kid. As prices continue to rise, Travis predicts some vegan restaurants will continue to exist, but they’ll be expensive, and will exist mainly for special occasions. 

As produce prices continue to surge, sometimes faster than meat, due to a mix of agricultural labour shortage and escalating oil and fertilizer prices, he said things won’t get any easier for restaurants.

“Hopefully those costs will begin to plateau,” he said, as we see more streamlined mechanized processes be implemented, and as we cross the threshold into the much-vaunted AI-driven fourth agricultural revolution. 

In the meantime, Travis urged other vegans to try and stay ahead.

“Don’t neglect the frozen food section” at your grocery store, where you can stock up on produce that’s flash frozen at the peak of ripeness. That, as well as finding gathering places, “Supper clubs, supper clubs, supper clubs, baby! Let's supper-away and do it together. Let’s go to the grocery store!”  

Leaving the lifestyle

If the restaurants continue to close, Eden Gordley, an actor who started her journey toward veganism six years ago to help with sinus issues, said she might be discouraged enough to leave the lifestyle herself.

“I would say that it's not easy to cook for yourself all the time," she said. "It's really hard. Anybody who is able to do that is, like, extremely privileged.”

 “I'd be discouraged to eat out {as well},” she added, noting that vegan dishes at omnivore restaurants aren’t really reliable options. This goes for national restaurants and fast food chains, too, not just mom and pops, who often use L.A. and similar big blue cities as test markets for specialized trends. Some dishes disappear overnight, she said, and others that find their way onto menus often aren’t given much thought or intention. “They just aren’t good.”

So, what’s next for vegan restaurants in L.A.? Donna Jean’s Elam said: “This is the one thing I noticed about L.A., is that when you're new, they care. When they can't have you anymore, they care. But the middle part — that’s the hard part.”

https://laist.com/news/food/where-do-vegans-turn-after-restaurant-closures

Why clearly labelled plant-based menu options have become a business necessity

From nrn.com

Businesses can capitalize on the 42% of consumers who identify as ‘flexitarian’ 

Restaurant operators have spent the last several years navigating inflation, labour shortages, changing consumer habits, and rising ingredient costs. At the same time, one long-term shift is reshaping menus across the industry: more consumers are looking for plant-based meals.

This is no longer a niche trend: Today’s diners include vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, and omnivores who simply want more plant-based choices when dining out. For operators, the opportunity is not about replacing traditional menu favourites — it’s about making plant-based options easy to find and order.

Consumer demand continues to grow: Global market research firm Grand View Research estimates the vegan food market reached more than $22 billion in 2025, and projects continued double-digit annual growth through 2033. NielsenIQ has also reported continued growth in plant-based purchasing behaviour. Importantly, many of these consumers are not strict vegans or vegetarians. They still eat meat but are increasingly incorporating plant-based meals into their diets throughout the week. Many are looking for flexibility, variety, and perceived health benefits.

According to Euromonitor, 42% of global consumers identify as following a flexitarian diet, meaning they are intentionally reducing consumption of animal-based products without eliminating them entirely. In the United States, plant-based eating has expanded well beyond consumers who identify as vegan or vegetarian. Research cited by Restroworks found that 54% of U.S. adults eat vegetarian meals sometimes or always when dining out, while 25% report eating vegan meals sometimes or always when eating out.

Younger consumers also increasingly expect restaurants to offer at least some plant-based choices. Research from Packaged Facts and other market analysts shows that younger generations are more likely to experiment with plant-based foods and alternative proteins.

For operators, offering plant-based options is becoming less about following a trend and more about meeting evolving customer expectations. These changing dining habits matter operationally because flexitarian guests rarely search specifically for “vegan restaurants.” Instead, they are choosing restaurants where plant-based dishes are easy to identify, clearly labelled, and integrated naturally into the menu.

This is especially important for group dining. One vegetarian or vegan diner can influence where an entire group chooses to eat, meaning unclear or limited plant-based options can cost restaurants an entire party.

                                                                                                                             Peter Garritano

Clear menu labelling builds trust

Offering vegan or vegetarian items is only part of the equation. Guests also need confidence that the information is accurate. One of the most common frustrations among plant-based diners is inconsistency between online menus, printed menus, delivery platforms, and staff knowledge. A dish may appear vegetarian online but contain hidden animal-based ingredients in person, or a server may describe it differently than the menu. These inconsistencies create friction during ordering and can damage customer trust.

For many guests, convenience matters just as much as availability. If customers have to ask multiple questions before ordering, the process becomes more difficult than it needs to be.

Clear and consistent labelling helps eliminate confusion. Restaurants that successfully serve plant-based diners typically use:

• Standardized vegan and vegetarian icons

• Consistent labelling across digital and printed menus

• Clear ingredient descriptions

• Staff training around substitutions and allergens

• Updated third-party delivery platform information

Consumers also increasingly decide what to eat before they walk through the door. If vegan and vegetarian options aren't clearly visible on a restaurant's website, QR code menu, Google Business Profile, or delivery apps, many guests will simply move on to another option.

Plant-based labelling should remain consistent everywhere customers interact with the menu, including the above digital locations, as well as on social media platforms and catering menus.

Labels of vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based describe ingredients and should not automatically imply that cross-contact is impossible; restaurants should separately disclose the use of shared fryers, preparation surfaces, or equipment when relevant.

Some restaurants take this one step further by creating a dedicated vegan or plant-based menu. While not every operation has enough offerings to justify one, a separate menu signals that plant-based diners are a priority and makes it easier for guests to find suitable options. Restaurants don't need to create new dishes. Existing vegan and vegetarian menu items can simply be grouped into a dedicated section, giving diners even more confidence than menu symbols alone.

Staff training is part of the customer experience

Menu labelling alone is not enough. Front-of-house staff must also understand the menu and be able to answer questions confidently.

Plant-based diners often ask about ingredients, preparation methods, substitutions, and cross-contact concerns. If servers appear uncertain or provide conflicting answers, guests will lose trust and confidence.

A brief staff review of vegan and vegetarian menu items, substitutions, and common ingredient questions can significantly improve the guest experience. Staff should be prepared to answer which dishes are vegan or vegetarian, whether substitutions are available, and whether sauces, broths, or sides meet those standards.

Plant-based options can support operational flexibility

Plant-based menu items can also create operational advantages. Grain bowls, pasta dishes, vegetable-forward entrées, bean-based proteins, and globally inspired dishes can diversify ingredient usage, reduce exposure to volatile protein pricing, and increase menu flexibility. Many operators are successfully integrating a handful of clearly identified plant-based dishes directly into their core menu rather than creating an entirely separate concept.

The opportunity is about choice

The growth of vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian dining does not mean every restaurant needs to become fully plant-based. It does mean that customers increasingly expect clear options, accurate information, and a seamless ordering experience. Importantly, successful restaurants are avoiding messaging that feels ideological or judgmental. Consumers generally respond better to menu innovation centred around flavour, quality, convenience, and variety rather than moral positioning.

Restaurants that make vegan and vegetarian options clearly visible and easy to understand position themselves to capture a wider range of diners without alienating traditional customers. For operators navigating an increasingly competitive market, that’s good customer service and good business.

https://www.nrn.com/expert-opinions/why-clearly-labeled-plant-based-menu-options-have-become-a-business-necessity

Best Vacuum Sealers 2026: Cut Food Waste Without Drowning in Plastic

From onegreenplanet.org

Roughly a third of the food grown on this planet is never eaten, and a depressing share of that happens in home freezers, where good produce turns to ice crystals and gets binned. A vacuum sealer is one of the few kitchen gadgets that pays for itself in food you stop throwing away. The catch is the plastic, and that is worth talking about honestly before you buy one.

Key Takeaways

• Vacuum sealing extends freezer life dramatically. Food stored this way keeps three to five times longer, and frozen items that would last six months can hold for two to three years.
• The plastic problem is real. A sealer that runs only on disposable rolls trades food waste for packaging waste, which is not obviously a win.
• Two ways around it: buy a machine compatible with reusable valve bags, or choose a brand with plastic-neutral certified consumables.
• Every bag in this guide is BPA-free. That is now standard from reputable brands and a red flag when it is missing.
• Consumer Reports found that most sealers dry-seal well and separate mainly on ease of use, so build quality matters more than suction specs.

What to Look For in a Vacuum Sealer in 2026

                                                                                                                  Image Credit: One Green Planet

Start with bag compatibility, because it determines your running costs and your waste footprint for years. Machines locked to proprietary bags are the expensive option twice over. Sealers that accept any brand’s bags let you buy in bulk, and more importantly let you use reusable valve bags, which are washable and good for dozens of cycles on non-messy foods. That single decision does more for the environmental maths than anything else on the spec sheet.

Then think about what you actually seal. Wet and dry modes matter if you freeze soups, marinades, or anything with liquid, because a dry-only machine will suck brine into the pump and eventually kill it. A double heat seal is worth having for the same reason. If you are mostly portioning dry goods, grains, nuts, and bulk pantry staples, a simpler machine is fine and you should save the money.

On materials, BPA-free is the baseline. Reputable brands state it plainly on the listing, and its absence tells you something. Beyond that, look for what a brand says about its own plastic footprint. Anova, for instance, publicly acknowledges that plastic waste is the biggest drawback of sous vide cooking and has made its bags and rolls certified plastic neutral, offsetting the equivalent of 32 plastic bottles per box through an ocean-plastic partnership. That is a small thing, but it is a company being straight about a trade-off rather than pretending it does not exist.

Consumer Reports’ testing found that nearly all sealers handle dry sealing well and that the meaningful differences show up in usability. So buy for the handle, the seal width, and whether you will actually reach for it, not for a suction number. If you would rather skip plastic entirely, our guide to sustainable food storage containers covers glass and silicone alternatives that handle fridge and pantry storage well, though they will not do what a vacuum does for long-term freezing.

The Best Vacuum Sealers of 2026

1. Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer: Best Overall

The Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer is slim, single-button, and does wet and dry sealing without fuss, which is why it ends up on more counters than in more cupboards. It ships with ten BPA-free pre-cut bags and carries a two-year warranty. The reason it leads here is the consumables: Anova’s bags and rolls are certified plastic neutral, which is the only meaningful eco credential anyone in this category currently offers. Buyers consistently praise how little space it takes. The honest flaw: it is optimised for Anova’s own bag sizes, so you get the best experience staying inside their system, which limits your bulk-buying options. Check current price.

2. Nesco VS-12 Deluxe: Best Value and Best for Reusable Bags

If you want to run reusable valve bags, this is the machine. The Nesco VS-12 Deluxe is explicitly compatible with any brand of vacuum sealer bags, which means you are never locked into a proprietary consumable and can switch to washable valve bags for anything that is not messy. A 130-watt double pump, three seal settings including a double heat seal, and a gentle pressure mode for soft foods like berries and bread. It handles bags up to 11.8 inches wide. Around $93 to $115, and it was America’s Test Kitchen’s top-rated compact sealer. The honest flaw: it is bulkier than the Anova and the silver finish shows fingerprints badly. See it on Amazon.

3. FoodSaver PowerVac VS0150: Best for Small Kitchens

The FoodSaver PowerVac stores vertically, which sounds trivial until you try to fit a horizontal sealer into a normal cupboard. FoodSaver states it seals with 35 percent less bag waste than their previous models, which over a few years of use is a meaningful reduction in plastic per seal. Two custom settings for moist and dry, a built-in alignment tray, and compatibility with the full FoodSaver accessory range including jar sealers for dry pantry goods. The honest flaw: FoodSaver’s own bags are pricier than generic equivalents, and while the machine takes other brands, the automatic detection works best with theirs. View product details.

4. Anova Precision Port Handheld: Best for Reducing Plastic

The lowest-waste option here by a distance. The Anova Precision Port Handheld Sealer is cordless and works with valve bags that Anova describes as durable, resealable, and genuinely reusable for storing mild, non-messy foods. That changes the arithmetic: instead of a fresh bag per seal, you wash and refill. It is also the pick if counter space is the constraint, since it lives in a drawer. The honest flaw: it will not handle wet or messy foods the way a clamp sealer will, and reusable bags do eventually need replacing. This is a supplement to bulk freezing, not a replacement. Check availability.

5. Bonsenkitchen VS3801: Best Budget Pick

For anyone who wants to test whether they will actually use one before spending real money. The Bonsenkitchen VS3801 handles bags up to 11.81 inches, offers dry and moist modes, and arrives with a starter kit of bags. Slim enough to leave on a counter. Buyers who bought it for bulk-shopping portioning are the most satisfied group. The honest flaw: the build is lighter than the Nesco or FoodSaver, and heavy daily use will wear it faster. If you plan to seal a whole bulk order every week, buy up. Compare on Amazon.

Getting the Most Out of It Without Drowning in Plastic

Freeze flat. A bag sealed flat stacks, thaws faster, and takes a fraction of the space of a lumpy one, which means you can actually see what you own instead of rediscovering it in two years.

Reuse where you sensibly can. Bags that held dry goods, grains, nuts, bread, blanched vegetables, can be washed, dried thoroughly, and resealed several times. Bags that held anything oily or strongly flavoured should not be. That single habit roughly halves consumption for most households.

Seal what actually gets wasted. Bulk grains, nuts, and flours that go rancid, seasonal produce bought cheap and frozen at peak, batch-cooked meals, and bread, which stales faster in the fridge than on the counter or in the freezer. Our guide to keeping fruits and vegetables fresh all week covers what to seal and what genuinely does better loose.

And be honest with yourself about the trade. If you are the sort of household that already eats everything you buy, a vacuum sealer is a gadget that generates plastic for no real gain. If you buy in bulk, grow your own, or routinely bin wilted produce, it is one of the better purchases in this kitchen. The machine is not the environmental decision. How you use it is.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/best-vacuum-sealers-2026-v2/#goog_rewarded