Why Some Redditors Are Becoming 'Invegs'

According to the retail analytics company IPSOS Retail Performance, between 2004 and 2019, the number of people who showed interest in vegan and plant-based diets ballooned from 290,000 to 9.7 million in the United States alone. Vegan News quoted a global business development manager from the analytics company, Kelly Fairchild, who explained part of that expansion in terms of the changing dialogue about plant-based diets: "As the dialog around veganism shifts from one of animal welfare, to wider concerns around climate change and personal health, we are seeing more and more people adopt this once minority dietary preference." In a piece unrelated to the IPSOS findings, a contributor to DESIblitz credited educational documentaries about the meat industry for an increase in the number of people adopting a vegan diet.

Though vegetarianism and veganism may have seen lots of growth for moral, environmental, and health reasons, those aren't the prime reasons that some Redditors have become "invegs." Rather, there is a financial incentive to cut down one's meat intake. That's right: Sticking to a diet without meat has typically been cheaper than one that includes it. Speaking with Healthline, Sharon Palmer, RDN, said that "animal proteins tend to be the most expensive item on the plate." And as the name"inveg" implies, the decision to cut out pricier proteins isn't entirely voluntary.

Cost concerns are exactly the reason Redditor @ArcticBeavers and their wife have become "invegs," or "involuntary vegetarians." The word is also a play on the term, "incel," as the user notes with humor. The original poster explained, "We are solidly middle class and are DINK and still can't justify the current cost of meats." However, they are approaching this new dietary change with an open mind, stating that "I'm glad vegetarian recipes have become more popular in the US in the past decade because its (sic) making it so much easier to adjust."

Their Reddit post has garnered the attention and discussion among other "invegs" in addition to those who choose plant-based diets or are curious about the lifestyle One user, @bunnycrush_, stated that they were simply cutting down on their meat intake, presumably due to soaring meat prices. "Yes, I shifted gears to using meat as an accent. So I still eat meat somewhat consistently (maybe three dinners a week), but am only buying small amounts." Others described a reliance on tofu as a way to lighten the financial load or suggested more veggie-heavy recipes. So for those who might be having similar issues, the discussion could provide inspiration.