The humble potato has been voted the nations’ most loved vegetable, according to a new study, commissioned by Dolmio.
The spud, a rich source of potassium and a daily staple on millions of British dinner tables, was brought to the UK way back in 1584 by Sir Walter Raleigh, but was yesterday crowned king of the veg, in a poll of Britons.
Second to emerge from the survey was the carrot, with 66% of the vote, closely followed by the tomato (65%), the onion (62%) and peas, which came in fifth place with 57%.
Ian Nundy, Marketing Manager at Dolmio, said, “There are so many fantastic vegetables out there to create tasty, healthy meals. Embracing new veggies is a great way to add variety to your diet and make the most of the many tasty options out there.
“As a nation, it’s apparent we are slow to experiment with new vegetables and continue to struggle to get our five portions of fruit and veg per day in. That is why we have developed our new Dolmio Veggie Goodness pasta sauces – which contain two tasty portions of vegetables in each serving, including ingredients such as courgettes, lentils and sweet peppers.
'Using vegetables like these will hopefully encourage the 79% of Brits who want to be more adventurous with their veggies, to broaden their repertoire and not shy away from delicious new flavours, as they are really missing out!'
However, the poll also revealed a list of the UK’s most loathed vegetables, with celeriac (36%t), aubergine (35%) and celery (25%) all making the list. The single most hated vegetable however, according to the survey was the artichoke, with 47% of Brits saying they simply cannot stand them.
The research found on average, Brits eat just 3.4 portions of fresh veg a day, with 74% of the country saying they feel bad about not getting their five a day.
In fact, over half of those polled (52%) said that they were embarrassed to admit they were still fussy about veg, even though they are grown-up. Reasons for not eating a wider range of veg were that we didn’t like the taste (52%), while 36% were funny about the texture and almost a quarter simply had an issue with the “look” of some vegetables.
More than two out of three of those polled with children (68%) admitted they find it a struggle to get their children to eat fruit and veg. However, 62% also revealed they blame themselves because they failed to set a good example.
Nearly one in four (79%) of the 2,000 respondents polled said they wished they could be more adventurous and enjoy a healthier, wider range of veggies.
Most loved veggies:
1. Potato – 72%
2. Carrot – 66%
3. Tomato – 65%
4. Onions – 65%
5. Peas – 62%
6. Broccoli – 52%
7. Peppers – 47%
8. Sweetcorn – 47%
9. Green beans – 30%
10. Cabbage – 29%
Most loathed veggies:
1. Artichoke – 47%
2. Okra - 40%
3. Yams – 37%
4. Celeriac – 36%
5. Aubergine – 35%
6. Avocado – 31%
7. Kale - 30%
8. Butternut squash - 28%
9. Radishes - 27%
10. Celery - 25%
