Many pronouncements are made about young people’s eating habits – they’re going vegan, they prize convenience, they’re eating more ethically and sustainably. And there is, to varying degrees, some truth in these.

But it’s well-known that what people say to consumer researchers and what they actually do in reality are often far apart. And what better way to see the choices people really make than by looking inside their fridge.

This picture is one of many fridges we've been looking into. It's a communal fridge located in the student accommodation of a “top-50 in the world” university in the UK. It serves a group of 18-20 year olds – Gen Z – from a wide array of countries, from the UK to China to Spain.

The picture was taken in “Veganuary”. And if you believe what the media says about young people all turning towards plant-based eating and turning away from meat and dairy, you would expect to see evidence of that most clearly in Veganuary, wouldn’t you?

But as so often, there’s a gulf between reality and what the media says.

In all the areas highlighted in red in the picture are dairy products – Greek yoghurt, milk, Muller fruit corners (an ‘everyday indulgent’ yoghurt) and cheese. And our picture only shows you what’s at the front of the fridge. There’s even more dairy (especially cheeses) on the shelves behind the products you can see in the picture.

And there’s none of the hyped-up almond or oat milk. And that’s not just a one-off. We checked every day for a month and there was never, on any day, either plant-based dairy or plant-based meat substitutes.

Note that the ratio of full-fat milk to skim (in the door) is about equal as young people lose the fear of fat that was common in their parents' generation. The Greek yoghurt on show is also 50:50 between full-fat and low-fat types.

In fact, there’s quite a bit of animal protein: all the meat products are ready-to-eat, such as pre-sliced ham and chicken pieces.

There is some fresh produce, including spinach, broccoli and a box of cherries that certainly aren’t in season locally. And a Naked power smoothie – the most convenient way to get your vegetables.

What's in this fridge is not so very unusual. Some millennials may have reduced their dairy intake, but Gen Z is taking its own path. It’s a reminder that what you read about young people’s eating habits in the media should be taken with a large pinch of salt.