30% Of Meat Eaters Refuse To Date Vegetarians, Study Finds

Eating meat and dating a vegetarian simply could not work for 30% of meat-eating respondent in a recent study conducted by Today.com and Match.com. The group on Friday issued the Love Bites survey which interviewed 4,000 singles and found that nearly 30 percent of meat eaters won’t date a vegetarian or a vegan.

According to meat-eating writer J. Federer in an interview with TODAY.com:

“Food is social, and the dinner table is where a couple gets back together after a day of work or play. This is where the relationship happens. The ability to provide and share food is part of romance, and I just can’t date a person who does not share those moments of life with me.”

But don’t for a moment think it is just about shared experiences. Match.com’s chief scientific adviser Dr. Helen Fisher says part of the process is biological and she notes that throughout the animal kingdom courtship involves sharing food among carnivores. According to Fisher:

“It’s so common in the animal world to give food for sex that it’s called the nuptial gift. Mankind’s first luxury was meat, and when carnivores share food – what they are sharing is this luxury. It’s more than just cultural, it’s instinctual.”

The biggest concern for many meat eaters is simply that they feel “judged” when they bite into a huge, succulent, juicy, wonderful piece of meat.

The study also found that 66% of respondents found “picky eaters” to be a turn off with vegetarians and to a greater degree vegans being the hardest people to please when it comes to food choices.

There is also the issue of the “manliness” associated with meat eaters. According to some respondents a man is supposed to eat meat and if they are a vegetarian dating them seems odd.

Could you date a vegetarian if you eat meat or vice versa?