[ECO]This Menu Trick Sparked a Surprising Vegetarian Behavioural Shift in Hotels

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Changing the layout of a menu could influence a vegetarian behavioural shift, without even saying a word.

A new study shows that how food is listed on a menu can strongly influence what people order, especially when

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Researchers tested this idea in two hotels. Their goal was to determine if changing how menu items were presented could trigger a vegetarian behavioural shift. The results were a quiet but significant change in ordering patterns, all sparked by something as simple as rearranging the menu.

Instead of using guilt or pressure to steer guests toward meatless meals, the study found that subtle changes in layout worked better than messages or statistics. That means restaurants and hotels can promote more sustainable eating without even saying a word.

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, published in Sustainable Tourism, involved 647 hotel guests. These guests weren’t told they were part of a study, so their choices reflected genuine behaviour.

Researchers tested three menu types:

1. Cognitive nudges: These menus included text saying “85% of hotel guests choose vegetarian meals,” followed by the question, “Will you be eating vegetarian today?” This approach used social pressure, known as the bandwagon effect, to influence decision-making.
2. Behavioural nudges: These menus had no extra messages. Instead, they simply listed vegetarian and vegan meals before the meat-based options. This method relied on how our brains naturally pick what’s presented first.
3. Default menus: These were the hotel’s original menus with no special design or messaging.

The researchers wanted to see which approach encouraged more

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and how to stimulate a vegetarian behavioural shift.

While meat remained the top choice overall, there were noticeable increases in vegetarian selections depending on the menu style.

On cognitive menus, 22% of guests chose vegetarian meals, compared to 13% on the default menu. But behavioural menus produced the most dramatic result. Only 2 out of 44 guests at one hotel picked a vegetarian dish from the default menu. With the vegetarian-first menu, 14 out of 42 guests made the switch.

Switching the order on the menu increases the odds of choosing a vegetarian dish by 654%.

This result points to a key insight: a vegetarian behavioural shift may come down to simple design rather than persuasion.

Many people want to make eco-friendly or healthier choices. But when they’re tired, hungry, or overwhelmed by options, they often default to what feels easiest or most familiar.

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Sofie Voss, lead researcher and assistant at the University of Surrey, explained: “Even when we want to make sustainable choices, we often default to what’s easy or familiar.”

Putting vegetarian meals at the top of a menu makes them more visible. That small change removes the feeling that meatless dishes are second-class options or afterthoughts.

Even more interesting: when meat-first menus clearly separated vegetarian meals into their own section, people still picked them more than they did from the default menus. Why? Because in the original menus, veggie options were just small notes under meat dishes, visually reinforcing meat as the “normal” choice.

When

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are presented as their own complete meals, diners take them more seriously. This reframing is key to sparking a vegetarian behavioural shift.

The success of this small change opens the door to ******* possibilities, especially in an era when more people are eating out or ordering online. And that’s where this idea gets even more powerful.

Food delivery apps and online ordering systems often control how meals are displayed. If those platforms listed vegetarian options first or highlighted them more clearly, they could nudge millions of people toward more sustainable choices.

Think about it: instead of scrolling past six burger options before seeing a salad, what if a plant-based wrap showed up first? Grocery delivery services can apply the same strategy: label plant-based alternatives more clearly, list meat-free items at the top, and create default settings that promote low-impact foods.

Restaurants and food service providers don’t need to remove meat to promote change. They just need to make vegetarian meals easier to notice and choose.

Even if you’re not in charge of a menu, you can still help encourage this shift in your community.

• Choose businesses that highlight plant-based meals. Support restaurants with clear vegetarian sections and visible non-meat options.
• Talk to local restaurants or cafeterias. Suggest they rearrange their menus or digital listings to feature vegetarian dishes prominently.
• Use your food delivery app wisely. Some apps allow custom filters—set yours to show vegetarian meals first.

These small steps can add up—every meal counts regarding reducing environmental impact and supporting sustainable food systems.

The hospitality and tourism industries serve millions of meals a day. Even a small increase in vegetarian meal selection can significantly reduce the demand for meat.

That matters because meat production is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. It also uses massive amounts of water and land.

Encouraging a vegetarian behavioral shift isn’t just about helping individuals eat better. It’s about helping the planet.

If this shift can happen quietly, through thoughtful menu design, without pressure or guilt, it’s a strategy worth considering.

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