Some vegetarians have nostalgic cravings for some cuts of meat, in particular the smell and taste of bacon. However, others find cooked meats repulsive to the extent of causing nausea, and even some meat eaters are not fond of the taste. In some surveys it was found the enjoyment of eating vegetarian foods was a reason for becoming vegetarian, rather than a dislike of meat. Vegetarian food became attractive and popular in its own right during the 1980-1990s, and a demand for meatless foods led to its commercialisation. Being vegetarian is not always cheap, even after cutting out expensive meat items from meals.
Many vegetarian substitutes are relatively expensive.
For example, the cost of vegetarian frozen mince in the United Kingdom is twice that of frozen minced beef. Professor Gregory says vegetarianism and semi-vegetarianism figures are high amongst adolescents, particularly females, which often amounts to little more than a phase. Teenage idealism, he says, is a normal urge to change the world and be drawn to extremist views, and it can often easily be capitalised on. The Vegetarian Society in the United Kingdom has been criticised on numerous occasions for exploiting teenage idealism. Some youngsters become what's referred to as 'vege warriors', whose aim is to convert whole families to vegetarianism.