Undertaken on 2,000 adults across the UK, the poll (conducted by Arla Fibre) found that despite this, 70% would like to “vary diets more easily.”
That said, a shocking 85% of respondents don’t know how much of each food group they should be eating each day, although 45% are aware that their monotonous meals mean they probably “don’t get the nutrition they need from food.” Clearly happy with their routine, 76% said they “wish it was easier to get the nutrition needed from their existing diets.”
Other findings include:
- People in Yorkshire and Humber are the fussiest eaters - 40% citing their “fussy nature or dislike of trying new things” as the main reason for tedious meals
- Scotland is the most adventurous region, with 94% interested in trying new foods
- Welsh are the most “time poor” - 28% blamed their busy schedules for boring diets
Offering her tips for “adding more colour and excitement into diets while ensuring we get enough of the different food groups stay healthy,” TV doctor Dr Ranj Singh said: “It’s clear that busy lifestyles are causing meal times to become repetitive, but with a few simple swaps, we can add more colour and excitement into our diets whilst also ensuring we get enough of the different food groups we need to stay healthy.
“The simple rule that most people already know is always opt for brown over white when it comes to bread, rice and pasta, but there are so many more ways to get more fibre in your diet that people don’t consider.
“For instance, always keeping the skin on vegetables and swapping your regular yogurt for new Arla Fibre.”
The survey also revealed that most people believe they’re lacking vitamins (25%) and iron (17%) the most, but only 6% know how much fibre we’re supposed to eat each day (30g).
Coinciding with the launch of the company’s Arla Fibre yogurts, company brand manager, James Quayle, explained: “On average, the UK population only eats about 18g of fibre a day, so when the UK Government released its 2015 guidelines advising that adults should eat 30g of a fibre, Arla realised just how much we, as a nation, are lacking from our diets.
“It’s no surprise that we’re struggling to get enough fibre, when traditional fibre-rich foods can be so bland and uninspiring. So here at Arla, we set out to change all that and created a yogurt which equates to 16% of the 30g recommended by the UK Government in each 150g serving, Arla Fibre yogurts.”