Replacing meat with alternative plant-based products (RE-MAP): a randomized controlled trial of a multicomponent behavioral intervention to reduce meat consumption

Abstract

Background Reducing meat consumption could protect the environment and human health. Objectives We tested the impact of a behavioral intervention to reduce meat consumption. Design Adult volunteers who regularly consumed meat, were recruited from the general public and randomized 1:1 to an intervention or control condition. The intervention comprised free meat substitutes for four weeks, information about the benefits of eating less meat, success stories, and recipes. The control group received no intervention or advice on dietary change. The primary outcome was daily meat consumption after four weeks, assessed by a 7-day food diary, and repeated after eight weeks as a secondary outcome. Other secondary and exploratory outcomes included the consumption of meat substitutes, cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial variables related to meat consumption, and the nutritional composition of the diet. We also estimated the intervention's environmental impact. We evaluated the intervention using generalized linear mixed effects models. Results Between June 2018 and October 2019, 115 participants were randomized. Baseline meat consumption was 134 g/d in the control and 130 g/d in the intervention group. Relative to the control, the intervention reduced meat consumption at 4 weeks by 63 g/d (95%CI: 44, 82, P<0.0001, N = 114) and at eight weeks by 39 g/d (95%CI: 16, 62, P = 0.0009, N = 113), adjusting for sex and baseline consumption. The intervention significantly increased the consumption of meat substitutes without changing the intake of other principal food groups. The intervention increased intentions, positive attitudes, perceived control, and subjective norms of eating a low meat diet and using meat substitutes, and decreased attachment to meat. At 8 weeks, 55% of intervention recipients identified as “meat-eaters” compared to 89% in the control. Conclusions A behavioral program involving free meat substitutes can reduce meat intake and change psychosocial constructs consistent with a sustained reduction in meat intake.

Comparison of Three Dietary Assessment Methods to Estimate Meat Intake as Part of a Meat Reduction Intervention among Adults in the UK

“…Dietary data were obtained from 115 participants who took part in RE-MAP (Replacing Meat with Alternative Plant-based Products), an RCT evaluating the impact of a four-week behavioural intervention to reduce meat consumption [ 14 ]. RE-MAP was conducted in Oxford, United Kingdom, and participants were recruited through community advertisements.…”

“…Both dietary measurements were repeated at the 4 week (at the end of the intervention) and 8 week (four weeks after intervention completion) follow-ups. The study process and methodology have been described in full previously [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…The current study aimed to assess the agreement between methods to estimate meat consumption between disaggregated 7 day food diaries and two simpler frequency methods in a population of UK adult volunteers taking part in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention to reduce meat consumption [ 13 , 14 ]. The two simpler approaches assessed were frequency meal counts from 7 day food diaries and 7 day dietary recalls, each using standard estimated portion sizes to estimate meat intake in g/day from these frequency measures (methods are described below in more detail).…”

Perspective: Soybeans Can Help Address the Caloric and Protein Needs of a Growing Global Population

“…That is why it is important that the new generation of plantbased meats are formulated to emulate the taste and texture of meat (as opposed to, for example, a black bean burger) and are designed to be used in a similar manner (133). Bianchi et al (134) recently demonstrated the potential role of meat substitutes in reducing reliance on and changing attitudes toward meat. Finally, hybrid meats, the combination of animal and plant protein, may be an especially appealing and efficacious approach to increasing dietary protein diversity because research has found that to create an effective dietary change, new practices should not diverge too much from consumers' previous behavior (135)(136)(137).…”

Introducing insect- or plant-based dinner meals to families in Denmark: study protocol for a randomized intervention trial

“…Interventions with plant-based alternatives have resulted in reduction of meat intake and changes to psychosocial variables, such as increased positive attitudes and reduced meat attachment [ 38 , 39 ]. Introducing novel proteins for meat replacement presents numerous barriers that can influence how the food is received, such as lack of reliable information, knowledge and cooking skills, and social support [ 40 ].…”