Rising number of people want veggie and meat-free dishes for Christmas dinner

Research has found a growing number of searches for alternatives for roast turkey. (Image: Getty)

The trend towards meat-free meals will continue into the festive season, with more than a quarter of homes looking to make vegetarian dishes the centrepiece of their Christmas dinner.

Research has found that while roast turkey, goose or beef have traditionally been the main attraction, a growing number of people have been searching for alternatives.

A Tesco survey found more than 27 per cent of those quizzed said they will serve or consider prioritising vegetarian or plantbased options on Christmas Day.

This fits in with a trend spotted by the supermarket giant for shoppers seeking out plant-rich options, incorporating pulses, nuts, seeds and vegetable-based ingredients in their meals.

These "veg-led" foods now represent 40 per cent of all plant-based sales, according to retail analysts IRI. The rise is equivalent to almost an extra 600,000 veg-led dishes sold by Tesco this year. To meet the festive demand, Tesco has dishes such as its Finest Roasted Vegetable and Cranberry Star, for £6, which contains seasoned, roasted butternut squash, roasted parsnip, cranberries and chestnuts, wrapped in puff pastry. There is also a Finest Butternut Wellington, for £7, pictured, which is handwrapped and rolled with a centre of butternut squash with seasoned vegetables, shallots and mushroom duxelles.

Fay Hasnip, Tesco plant-based product development manager, said: "There is a growing appetite from plant-based shoppers to try products, as well as from 'flexitarians' now wanting to take more control over what they eat, while continuing to reduce their meat intake.

"With that in mind we've crafted our finest-ever plant-based offering this festive season that we believe will surprise and delight all at the CHRISTMAS dinner table."