The study, hosted by BBC Good Food, said the study was ‘revelatory’  and indicated that kids want to explore diets ‘that could be more sustainable for the planet’.

A new survey has indicated that the eating habits of children in the UK are changing, with more than 20% revealing that they are either already vegan or would like to become vegan in the near future.

BBC Good Food hosted the survey, which collected the views of 1,004 children in the age group five to 16 in July and August this year.

It found that 8% of children in that age group were following a vegan diet, while 13% were vegetarian.

Moreover, 15% of respondents said they would like to go vegan and 21% wanted a vegetarian diet.

The survey also gathered opinions on plastic packaging and while 44% answered they would like food to be plastic free in 10 years’ time only 37% believed this could actually happen.

Christine Hayes is the editor of BBC Good Food. She said: “The findings are revelatory and show that far from being fussy eaters, children want to take over the nation’s kitchens – baking and preparing meals, trying different kinds of foods.

“They are passionate about exploring alternative diets and methods of food production that could be more sustainable for the planet.”

Other studies

The plant-based market is continuing to soar. In recent years several reports have highlighted the growing popularity of vegan food as people consciously reduce meat and dairy over health, ethics, and climate change concerns.

Market research website Appinio, which surveyed 1,000 participants from the UK, found that just 68.6% of participants were omnivores.

Meanwhile 4% said they were vegan and 8.7% were vegetarian. These figures are increased notably when compared to previous years.

Appinio’s survey also found that more than half of 800 respondents  said they were willing to consider replacing some of the meat in their diets with plant-based alternatives

 In another study commissioned by vegetarian giant Quorn, which surveyed 2,000 families across the nation, found that more than 50% of British families said they’d wouldn’t mind removing meat from their diets if it would benefit the environment.

• Read: 1 In 3 Brits now drink plant-based milk

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