Food Liking as a Mediator Between Meat Attachment and Consumption of Meat and Plant-Based Foods

This dataset contains cross-sectional survey data from 180 community-dwelling Australian adults aged 50 to 75 years, collected to investigate the relationships between meat attachment, food liking, and consumption of animal- and plant-based foods. The study was motivated by increasing interest in promoting plant-based diets to support both human and environmental health, while recognising that many older adults remain attached to meat consumption. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising three validated measures: (1) the Meat Attachment Questionnaire (MAQ), assessing emotional and cognitive attachment to meat and its dimensions (e.g., Dependence, Hedonism, Entitlement and Affinity); (2) a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), measuring habitual consumption of animal-based and plant-based foods; and (3) a Food Liking Questionnaire (FLQ), assessing hedonic responses to a wide range of foods, including both animal- and plant-based options. Additional demographic variables were also collected. The dataset includes individual-level responses, calculated scale scores, food liking scores, food frequency and intake measures, and derived variables used in statistical analyses. Data were used to examine whether food liking mediates or moderates the relationship between meat attachment and dietary behaviour. Analyses were conducted using bootstrapped mediation and moderation models. Findings showed that stronger meat attachment was directly associated with higher consumption of animal-based foods, but this relationship was not explained by greater liking of meat. In contrast, stronger meat attachment was associated with lower liking of plant-based foods, which partially explained lower consumption of plant-based foods. Among the dimensions of meat attachment, Dependence, defined as the belief that meat is necessary for health and wellbeing, was the strongest predictor of both greater animal-based food intake and lower plant-based food intake. No evidence was found that food liking moderated these associations. The dataset provides a valuable resource for researchers investigating dietary behaviour, food choice, ageing, plant-based eating, and the psychological factors influencing protein consumption. It can support secondary analyses examining determinants of plant-based food adoption in older adults, the role of food preferences in dietary transition, and interventions designed to promote healthier and more sustainable eating patterns.