Men associate the consumption of meat with masculinity, and vegetables and salads - with a weak character, a new study finds.
It is found that in men there is a strong psychological connection between meat and matchmaking.
Researchers are conducting a series of experiments to examine metaphors and words used by the male sex in relation to certain foods, such as meat, milk and more.
Psychologists are analyzing 23 languages to establish the connection between words expressing masculinity and meat products.
According to the results, meat generates more masculine words when people discuss it, as strong and firm. In most languages it is also masculine.
In addition, most people believe that carnivorous men are more masculine than vegetarians.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are also tracking whether people in Western cultures make a metaphorical connection between meat and men.
The typical muscular American man perceives meat as a "strong" food, and soy, for example, associates it with weakness and femininity, explains Prof. Paul Rosin of the research team.