A quarter of 21 to 30-year-olds claim the idea of becoming vegan has become more appealing since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
Some 25 per cent of people in this age group feel this way, according to research, with one in eight polled by Mintel saying a vegan diet had become more attractive to them.
Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of people surveyed said they have been consuming more fruit and vegetables since the start of the outbreak, with people aged 40 and under being the most likely to say they are keeping their fridges well-stocked.
Nearly two fifths (37 per cent) of people stated the Covid-19 pandemic prompted them to try to add more nutrients to support the immune system to their diet.
Alex Beckett, associate director, Mintel Food and Drink, said: “Even before the spread of Covid-19, we were seeing a growing interest in plant-based food and drink across global markets.
"It may well be that the pandemic is accelerating this trend.”
Some 37 per cent of people thought shoppers will buy long-life products such as tinned food more often. Nearly seven in 10 people said the outbreak had encouraged them to waste less food at home.
Coronavirus also appears to have started a long-term interest in cooking and baking as more than half of people surveyed plan to create more dishes from scratch than they did before the crisis began.
Some 2,000 people across Britain were surveyed during April and May.
