Restaurants should add photos of animals to their menus to guilt diners into ordering vegetarian dishes instead of meat, scientists claim. 'Visual reminders of meat's animal origins can influence actual food choices in a natural setting,' the researchers said. 'By displaying images of live animals alongside meat–based dishes on university cafeteria menus, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of vegetarian meals sold. An analysis of sales revealed that the odds of ordering a vegetarian meal were 22 per cent higher when the animal images were displayed. However, the researchers hope the findings highlight the impact of animal images on diner choices.

Source: Daily Mail April 01, 2026 16:42 UTC