A quarter of all veggies eat meat

They may claim they have forsaken flesh and fish for health or animal rights reasons - but the truth is most 'vegetarians' regularly tuck into meat.

Nearly a quarter of those who claim to be vegetarian also admit to enjoying the occasional steak, while one in five likes chicken or turkey. Just over half - or 51 per cent - eat fish regularly and only 42 per cent say they do not eat any red meat, poultry or fish.

Four per cent of the population describe themselves as vegetarian, according to researchers from the TNS Family Food Panel, who questioned 11,000 people. Dietician and nutritionist Juliette Kellow said: 'The findings reflect shifting ideals and show that these days maintaining a balanced diet is often more important to people than supporting a cause.'