RIYADH: Not too long ago, avoiding animal products was considered unusual in Saudi Arabia. Telling people you were vegetarian often came with an inevitable question: But what do you eat? Today, while vegetarianism remains a niche lifestyle, that experience is gradually changing.
Nada Al-Dagher, a nutritionist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, said that the growing visibility of vegetarian and plant-forward diets is part of a broader change in how people approach food.
“Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has experienced a significant shift toward healthier eating habits,” Al-Dagher told Arab News.
She attributes that change to greater awareness of lifestyle-related diseases, national health initiatives under Vision 2030, and easier access to nutrition information.
“People are becoming more proactive about reducing their risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease,” she said.
Al-Dagher said the trend is not necessarily creating more vegetarians, but encouraging people to rethink the role of meat in their diets.
“Many people are simply increasing their intake of plant foods while reducing animal products,” she said. “That is a positive trend supported by current nutritional evidence.”
She added that a well-planned vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients the body needs, challenging one of the most common misconceptions surrounding vegetarianism.
“Protein requirements can be met through legumes, soy products, lentils, beans, dairy products, eggs (for lactose-ovo-vegetarians), nuts, seeds, and whole grains,” she said.
Al-Dagher added that not every vegetarian diet is automatically healthy.
“A vegetarian diet based mainly on refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, and processed foods may still be nutritionally poor,” she said.
Dina Al-Ahmari, 22, became vegetarian in 2019 to see whether the diet would improve her health and lifestyle. Instead, she found herself relying on processed vegetarian foods.
“I eventually went back to eating meat because I found it difficult to maintain a healthy, balanced vegetarian diet with the options available,” she said.
Ohoud Alomrani, 27, became vegan in 2017 during her first year at university after deciding to lose weight and develop healthier eating habits. She remained vegan for several years before switching to a vegetarian diet in 2025.
“Over time, it became more than just a diet,” she told Arab News. “It turned into a lifestyle that felt natural and comfortable for me.
“At the time, choosing not to eat meat or dairy was considered unusual in Saudi Arabia because our food culture relies heavily on them, so people were often surprised by my choice.”
Back then, finding suitable meals was often challenging for Alomrani and other vegans.
“The biggest difference is accessibility,” she said. “Five or ten years ago, it was very difficult to find vegan food in Saudi Arabia. Restaurants rarely offered vegan dishes, and even supermarkets had very limited options.”
Today, living as a vegetarian has become much easier, she said.
“There are more choices, and some restaurants have started including vegan options on their menus. Vegetarian options are much more common than they used to be.”
Alomrani believes people have become more familiar with different eating habits, even if some remain curious.
“Many people are still surprised when they find out I’m vegetarian,” she said. “They often ask, ‘Why?’ or ‘Is it because of an allergy?’ So while acceptance has definitely improved, there’s still a lot of curiosity.”
Saudi hospitality has long been centered on meat, making social occasions one of the more challenging parts of maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle.
“Family gatherings, weddings and other social events are still difficult,” she said. “Buffet menus are usually centered around meat or seafood, so my options are often quite limited. Most of the time, I end up eating salads, appetizers or the few vegetarian dishes that are available.”
