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Cited by 22Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorFood, Nutrition, and Cultural Practices

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The Vegan Food Experience: Searching for Happiness in the Norwegian Foodscape

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Bertella, Giovanna·2020·Societies
DOI 10.3390/soc10040095
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to go beyond an oversimplified representation of the vegan food experience and approach the investigation of such experience, in particular of happiness deriving from food choices, including factors at the macro and micro level. Broadening the concept of foodscape to emphasize the experiential aspect of food, this study explored how the vegan food experience can be described as a situated story about vegans searching for hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Veganism in a Norwegian context was investigated through analysis of various secondary and primary data sources, including newspapers, social media, websites, interviews, and observation. The findings suggested that the story framing the vegan food experience is characterized by a fundamental lack of interest and knowledge about plant-based food and veganism at the macro level. At the micro level, the story concerns vegans experiencing sensuous gratification, enjoyment, conviviality, and meaningfulness in limited groups, but also isolation and frustration. This study contributes to an approach to vegan food experiences that takes into consideration contextual factors, as well as relevant well-being related emotions at the individual level. From a practical point of view, this study provides an opportunity, in particular for government bodies, to improve information about the potential benefits and challenges of plant-based diets and confront possible discriminatory attitudes towards vegans.

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Metadata

Authors
Bertella, G.
Affiliations
UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO)
Corresponding author
Bertella, Giovanna
ORCID
Bertella, Giovanna
Venue
Societies
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-11-30
Volume
10
Issue
4
Pages
95
ISSN
2075-4698 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/soc10040095
OpenAlex
W3106982514
Cited by
22
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1
FWCI
0.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Societies (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Universitetet i Tromsø
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Food, Nutrition, and Cultural Practices
Keywords
veganism, foodscapes, happiness, well-being, hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, plant-based diet, food choice, conviviality, isolation

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The Vegan Food Experience: Searching for Happiness in the Norwegian Foodscape. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.3390/soc10040095
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Bertella, G. (2020). The Vegan Food Experience: Searching for Happiness in the Norwegian Foodscape. Societies. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10040095