Vegetarian men, on the other hand, were described as eating foods such as tiramisu, yogurt, fruit, and soup. According to researchers, women rated vegetarian men as less attractive in all circumstances — even when the woman was vegetarian herself.

“We have found that, in the Italian context, females seem to prefer omnivorous over vegetarian males as possible mates, and that this discrimination is stronger among women holding negative attitudes toward vegetarians,” write Timeo and Sutiner.

In the conclusion, the researchers expressed confusion with the implications of their findings, and seemed to focus on only cultural explanations such as stereotypes and gender roles.