Food Choices of Vegans and Omnivores in Iceland. Dietary Surveys 2019–2022

• Main Author: Olga Eir Þórarinsdóttir 1989-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Lýðheilsuvísindi; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/43383

Background and aim: Despite the steadily growing popularity of the vegan diet in Iceland, there is no data on the food consumption or nutrient intake of this group. The primary aim of this study was to study dietary habits among vegans in Iceland and to compare them to the dietary habits of the omnivore population as well as comparing them to the official dietary recommendations. The secondary aim was to study the association between these different dietary habits and daily fruit and/or vegetable consumption. Lastly, to study the association between these different dietary habits and consumption of sweets. Methods: This cross-sectional study is based on data from the Icelandic National Dietary Survey, conducted in 2019–2021, and on an additional sample, with similar data collection conducted in 2022, from the vegan population. Participants were 18–64 years of age, 46 vegans and 447 omnivores. Information on dietary habits was collected by using two 24-hour diet recall phone interviews along with food frequency questions for the most common food groups. Descriptive statistic and binary logistic regression analysis was used to describe the data. Results: Consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fibres was significantly (p<0.05) higher among vegans than among omnivores. Also, vegans were more likely than omnivores to consume fruit and/or vegetables daily (OR 3.64, 95% CI 1.60 – 9.83) and less likely to consume sweets more than twice a week (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19 – 0.69). Furthermore, the macro- and micronutrient intake differed significantly (p<0.05) between vegans and omnivores except for polyunsaturated fatty acids and sodium. There was no difference in energy intake between these two groups. With reference to the official recommendations (10–20% of total energy intake; E%), dietary intake of protein was sufficient among most vegans (median; 25; 75 percentiles) (12.0E%; 10.2E%; 13.9E%). However, for many vegans the dietary intake of vitamin B2 for men, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, ...