Exploring red and red processed meat consumption amongst young men in Scotland

This report presents findings from student-facing research that combined online focus groups and a co‑creation workshop to understand more about consumption of red and red processed meat amongst young men in Scottish higher education and to develop intervention routes to changing consumption behaviours on campuses across Scotland.

This project was commissioned and funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by Hubbub and SOS UK. The report is independent: it is not Scottish Government policy and may not reflect Scottish Government policy positions.

Two online text-based focus groups were delivered with 16 participants – all young men (18-24 years) studying in Scottish universities, and consumers of red / red processed meat. Key findings include:

• Choices are driven most by convenience, affordability, and what feels filling/ like ‘proper food’, with social media shaping food inspiration. Participants shared an awareness of health implications of red/red processed meat consumption, but this didn’t automatically translate into changed behaviour.
• Red meat is widely seen as high‑value protein and recovery fuel, while plant‑based options are often perceived as less filling, riskier on taste, and sometimes poorer value. Nutrition information is also described as contradictory and hard to trust.
• Participants show openness to change when there are viable alternatives, especially when changes don’t feel forced and when alternatives are appealing, satisfying, framed around abundance and easy to access in everyday routines.

A half‑day co‑creation workshop with 12 male students aged 18–24, designed to deepen understanding of key consumption behaviours and collaboratively develop intervention ideas grounded in students’ lived experience.

Two behaviours emerged as particularly suitable for intervention within university settings from the focus group stage, and these formed the focus of the co-creation workshop:

1.Choosing red or red processed meat as ‘grab‑and‑go’ food on campus, driven by price, availability, speed and portability.

2.Choosing red meat to support fitness and performance, driven by beliefs about protein, recovery and strength, and reinforced by social and digital influences.

The ISM (Individual, Social, Material) behaviour change framework was used as a guiding structure for the workshop. Following this framework, a range of intervention elements were identified that can be summarised as:

• Redesigning food environments so that non‑meat options are as visible, convenient and affordable as meat equivalents.
• Reframing plant‑based and alternative proteins as performance‑compatible foods, not as sacrifices or substitutes.
• Using credible peer voices, such as and trusted messengers rather than top‑down institutional messaging. Address misinformation directly with clear, evidence‑based guidance that cuts through conflicting online narratives.
• Building practical capability and confidence to support quick, affordable, high‑protein meat‑free eating.

The report identifies a series of options that incorporate the elements described above into three packages, ranging from a small-scale pilot to a large-scale programme.