Does 'vegetarian' on your dating profile make you less likely to get a match?
01-31-2025

Does 'vegetarian' on your dating profile make you less likely to get a match?

Modern dating, especially online, can be a challenging endeavor. Striking a balance between authenticity and appeal in our dating profiles can be as tricky as deciding between a spontaneous snapshot or a hilarious one-liner.

If you’ve ever found yourself wading through uncharted waters of dating, insights from a recent research might save you from the dreaded left swipe!

A group of researchers has shed light on a word that could potentially dampen your dating appeal.

This revelation doesn’t come from a team of seasoned dating coaches but an unexpected source: the University of Warsaw.

As per their studies, you might want to reconsider flaunting “vegetarian” on your dating profile.

“Vegetarian” makes dating profile less attractive

The university study suggests that including “vegetarian” in your dating bio could reduce your overall attractiveness to prospective partners.

Doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, the verdict stands firm.

Interestingly, this research also indicates that men identifying as vegetarians might be perceived as less “masculine.”

“Women who reject traditional masculinity based on strength and dominance may perceive male vegetarians differently than those who embrace traditional masculinity. This, in turn, may explain why for some women a vegetarian man is ‘not a real man’,” noted the authors.

Vegetarian diet’s impact on dating success

Until now, most of the studies in the romantic realm focused primarily on physical attractiveness, conversational skills, and shared interests.

Shortage of research on the influence of diet on romantic attraction was noted, leading to this unusual study.

Their methodology involved engaging 404 participants of varying ages (18-82 years), simulating a hypothetical dating app scenario.

The volunteers viewed four types of dating profiles featuring a vegetarian for ethical reasons, a vegetarian for environmental reasons, a vegetarian for health reasons, and an individual with no specified diet.

After assessing each profile, participants rated the individual’s overall appeal, their openness to date them, and their perceived masculinity or femininity.

Dating preferences

Interestingly, the study pointed to vegetarians being less desirable as potential romantic partners.

“Compared to vegetarian targets, targets with no diet information were seen most positively in general, more masculine as well as more feminine, and thus more suitable to enter a relationship with,” the researchers observed.

Diving deeper into the data, they discovered that profiles depicting a vegetarian for health reasons were the least positively viewed.

Nevertheless, the reasoning behind such associations was not explored in the study.

Similar eating habits matter in attraction

Speculation suggests that shared dietary habits could be a significant factor in these preferences.

“Since only meat-eaters participated in the study, one explanation for the present finding is that people want to enter relationships with people who are on a similar diet to them,” the research team deduced.

This aligns with earlier studies indicating that vegetarians prefer dating other vegetarians.

The preferences for profiles that didn’t mention dietary habits over vegetarians could originate from valuing similarity in romantic relationships.

“Meat-eaters may believe that vegetarians simply have different values than they do, and those who do not mention their diet might be assumed to be meat-eaters, as a ‘default’ option,” the researchers noted.

Dating bias against vegetarians

These findings could stir up more research around vegetarian stereotypes and their links to perceived masculinity or femininity.

Grasping this may provide a better understanding of the reluctance among some men to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle.

While this research may not immediately alter dating trends, it contributes to the broader exploration of human relationships and attraction.

Psychology of dating preferences

While the study highlights a bias against vegetarians, it also raises deeper questions about how personal values influence attraction.

Dietary choices often go beyond just food – they reflect cultural backgrounds, ethical beliefs, and lifestyle priorities.

For many, eating habits align with identity and daily routines, making them an essential factor in romantic compatibility.

Psychologists suggest that people gravitate toward partners who validate their worldview. A meat-eater might subconsciously view a vegetarian as someone with conflicting values, even if the difference is only dietary.

This could explain why dating profiles without diet information were rated more favorably – participants may have assumed these individuals shared their own eating habits by default.

Vegetarians can still find compatible partners

But does this mean vegetarians are at a disadvantage in the dating world? Not necessarily.

Just as people seek similarities in potential partners, niche dating trends continue to rise. Vegetarian-specific dating platforms and communities have gained traction, offering those with plant-based lifestyles a space to connect with like-minded individuals.

At the end of the day, attraction is subjective, and compatibility extends far beyond what’s on the dinner table.

Whether you’re a meat-lover or a plant-based advocate, confidence in your choices and openness to meaningful connections might just be the real secret to dating success.

The full study was published in the Social Psychological Bulletin.

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