30% of Meat Eaters Refuse to Date Vegetarians

When it comes to dating, meat eaters are actually pickier than vegetarians. Almost 30% of omnivores wouldn't go out with a vegetarian or vegan, whereas just 4% of vegetarians wouldn't date a meat eater, a Today and Match.com poll finds. Of course, it's not exactly a fair comparison: With only 2% of the US population vegetarian and 3% vegan, they don't have many meat-free dating options. Meanwhile, 66% of the survey's 4,000 respondents find picky eating unattractive.

Meat eaters' opposition to dating vegetarians is no big surprise, experts say. "Mankind’s first luxury was meat, and when carnivores share food—what they are sharing is this luxury. It’s more than just cultural, it’s instinctual," notes an anthropologist. A meat eater echoes the sentiment: "The ability to provide and share food is part of romance, and I just can't date a person who does not share those moments of life with me." (More vegetarianism stories.)