Research shows that women and men have different attitudes toward food and eating habits, which may stem from societal gender roles. In most societies, eating meat is associated with masculinity, and choosing healthy and smaller meals is perceived as feminine. These stereotypes may affect eating behaviors, which may have an impact on health and well-being as well as on the environment and economy. We conducted two studies that focused on the perceptions and experiences of vegans and vegetarians (veg*ns) using a gender lens. The first study (N = 1048) used a quantitative design to investigate the association of a vegan/ vegetarian diet with gender stereotypes and the quality of personal relationships. The second study used a qualitative design with six 6-person focus groups (N = 36) to examine the experience of vegetarians with stereotypes associated with their diet and the possible links to gender roles. Results suggest that men following a vegan diet are not perceived as masculine, and vegans/ vegetarians themselves experience gender stereotypes related to diminished masculinity. Our research confirms that the interplay of diet, the role of meat in society, and gender stereotypes have consequences both for the social perception of people who follow a vegan/ vegetarian diet and for the experiences of the vegan/ vegetarian community.

研究表明，女性和男性对食物和饮食习惯有不同的态度，这可能源于社会性别角色。在大多数社会中，吃肉与男性气质联系在一起，而选择健康和少量的膳食则被认为是女性化的。这些刻板印象可能会影响饮食行为，进而影响健康和福祉以及环境和经济。我们进行了两项研究，重点关注使用性别视角的纯素食者和素食者 (veg*ns) 的看法和经历。第一项研究（N  = 1048）采用定量设计来调查纯素食/素食饮食与性别刻板印象和人际关系质量的关系。第二项研究采用定性设计，有 6 个 6 人焦点小组（N = 36）研究素食者对其饮食的刻板印象的经历以及与性别角色的可能联系。结果表明，遵循纯素饮食的男性并不被认为具有男子气概，而纯素食者/素食者本身也经历着与男性气质减弱相关的性别刻板印象。我们的研究证实，饮食的相互作用、肉类在社会中的作用以及性别刻板印象都会对遵循纯素食/素食饮食的人的社会认知以及纯素食/素食社区的经历产生影响。