Eating motives and meat consumption in romantic partners

Meat consumption negatively affects planetary health in addition to human health and animal welfare, and choices to eat meat are often driven by motives that are encouraged or muted by contextual factors within the lived environment. Romantic relationships are among the most influential contextual factors, yet little is known about how relationships shape meat eating motives and behavior. We examined between- and within-person actor and partner effects of dietary motives on meat consumption in general and across 28 shared meals (7,203 ratings in total) in 272 romantic partners. We found that the most important motives for higher personal meat consumption were the beliefs that meat tastes good, is necessary for health, and is natural, whereas concerns about ethical impacts for the environment and animals were the most important factors for lower consumption. People ate more meat if their partners viewed meat as necessary and tasty. Only high meat eating partners ate more meat when they or their partners believed it was normal, or their partners believed it was natural, but ate less when their partners were concerned about the environment. They further felt less capable of preparing plant-based meat alternatives during meals in which their partners ate less meat. Only low meat eating partners ate more meat when they felt pressured or when their partner valued health or felt incapable of preparing alternatives. These results demonstrate how interpersonal processes shape sustainability-related behaviors that involve conflicting motives and preferences between romantic partners, such as meat consumption. Understanding these processes offers insights for encouraging dietary shifts towards meat reduction. • Meat consumption is a significant cause of environmental problems. • Meat consumption is often shaped by motives that play out in social contexts. • Motives were identified that influence meat consumption in romantic relationships. • Results suggest that partners can be influenced to eat or abstain from meat. • Understanding interpersonal influences can guide meat reduction interventions.