Five-a-day aficionados or TV dinner slobs? We don't know whether Britain is a goodie or a baddie when it comes to food habits any more.
Two press releases arrived in the lovefood inbox today: ‘Brits beat rest of Europe in getting their five-a-day fix’, and ‘60% of meals now eaten in front of the telly’ – the two contradict themselves, don’t you think? It’s hard to tell whether we should be proud of our dining habits or ashamed.
We Brits loves our fruit 'n veg...
According to the first release, one in five Brits consumes at least five portions of fruit and veg a day, compared to just one in twelve across the rest of Europe. The Nielsen Global Survey of Fresh Foods, which surveyed more than 29,000 online shoppers across 58 countries, also found that Ireland is the second best when it comes to eating its greens.
At the other end of the spectrum, only 1% of Polish and Portuguese shoppers managed to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, while Croatians failed to reach the target altogether.
In an article by The Grocer, Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s UK head of retailer insight, said of the results: “The fact that the UK is far ahead of Europe suggests the successful impact the Department of Health’s ‘5 a day’ programme has had on the British public over the last decade.”
...but we love our telly even more
Well, such a report made me feel proud to be British. But then just minutes later, I read that six out of ten meals eaten in British homes are consumed in front of the telly, according to research led by Red Tractor. What’s more, apparently one third of us regularly eat that TV dinner without making any conversation with our family whatsoever – respondents said that they usually just sit staring at the screen instead.
Plus 45% of those who eat in front of the box don’t actually enjoy the food they’re ingesting, with many opting for easy ready meals and takeaways.
The main reason given for not eating at the table was because sitting on the sofa was ‘just a habit’, and now a part of the regular routine. And four in ten parents even said that, given the chance, their child would eat every meal in front of the television.
…so unless Brits are eating their five a day in front of the telly every night, something seems amiss. Are we a nation of health-conscious apple nibblers, or hopeless sedentary TV-watchers? I must confess that I dabble in a bit of both (although we were never, ever allowed to eat in front of the telly when we were kids), and am especially prone to ‘take pudding’ in front of the telly – especially if Coronation Street is on. And although I usually eat more like ten portions of fruit 'n veg a day, my Fridays are more than usually centred around crisps and chocolate, instead of carrots and cauliflower.
Although, of course, we must be wary of said 'surveys'... a quick Google found that Poland was actually the best at eating its five-a-day, back in January 2012 - and I doubt the results could have changed so dramatically in just over a year.
What about you? Are you more likely to strive for five-a-day, or sup in front of the telly? Can we do both? Talk to us in the comments box below.
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