Cooking a pro-veg*n social identity: the influence of vegan cooking workshops on children’s pro-veg*n social identities, attitudes, and dietary intentions

Abstract

Plant-based dietary choices can help to mitigate climate change. Yet, most people still consume meat. Social identity influences dietary choices. This study tests whether shared identity, pro-veg*n norms, attitudes, and dietary intentions, can be strengthened via a vegan cooking workshop for children. Pupils (N = 155) cooked in small groups (3–6 members). Compared to pre-measures, shared identity, pro-veg*n (vegan and/or vegetarian) norms, attitudes, dietary intentions, and appreciation of vegan food increased after the vegan cooking workshop. Changed perceptions about what is important or not (injunctive norms) at school predicted changes in attitudes; increased dietary intentions were predicted by changed inferences about the behaviours of peers with whom pupils directly cooked. Jointly cooking a vegan meal thus seems an effective intervention to shape shared identity and pro-veg*n norms, and foster attitudes and dietary intentions in line with this formed pro-veg*n social identity. Therefore, cooking workshops may induce social change.