Driving dietary shifts: the role of LOHAS consumption tendency in integrating mycoproteins into low red meat diets

Abstract This study explores how a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) consumption tendency, an external stimulus emerging from broader socio-environmental and cultural contexts that promote health, ecological awareness, and social responsibility, affects consumers’ intentions to incorporate mycoproteins into low red meat diets. The central hypothesis is that LOHAS consumption patterns act as a key driver in modulating psycho-attitudinal factors that either facilitate or inhibit the adoption of mycoproteins as a sustainable alternative to red meat. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey administered to a randomly selected sample of 951 Italian consumers of red meat and mushrooms. To explore the factors affecting consumers’ decision-making process to consume mycoproteins the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) was used as the main theoretical framework. The survey explored participants’ consumption habits related to mushrooms and red meat, the influence of LOHAS, perceptions of nutritional content, environmental sustainability, and barriers to adopting mycoproteins. The data were analysed employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships between constructs. Findings reveal that LOHAS consumption tendency serves as stimulus that positively influences consumer perceptions of mycoproteins’ nutritional value and environmental benefits, while barriers related to meat dependency and perceived value significantly hinder adoption. This study contributes by framing the LOHAS as an external socio-cultural stimulus within the S-O-R framework. By linking societal sustainability values with individual psychological processes, the research offers a novel perspective on the drivers of alternative proteins adoption. The findings provide theoretical insights into the interaction between value orientations and behavioural intentions, while offering practical guidance for policies and communication strategies aimed at promoting sustainable dietary transitions.