What’s in a Diet? Conceptual and Methodological Challenges in Classifying Dietary Groups

Authors

  • Sam Vellana Orcid
    Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Monica Barnard Orcid
    School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom

Abstract

Despite longstanding calls for scientific consensus on the definitions and categorisation of animal-restrictive dietary groups (Ruby, 2012; Rosenfeld, 2018), significant discrepancies remain. Urgency to address this issue is only growing, as dietary diversity increases. Without a shared conceptual and methodological framework, the field risks hindering theoretical integration and meta-analytic work. In this commentary, we highlight two key considerations in dietary group categorisation, calling for greater clarity, consistency and collaboration to strengthen cumulative progress in the field.