A survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out by meat-free food brand Meatless Farm, found four in five (84%) are concerned about the increasing cost of food and are having to significantly change their food shopping and eating habits with almost two thirds (62%) buying less fruit and vegetables, and lower quality food to get by.
With 80% forced to make changes as to how they shop and eat, the research reveals how the cost of living is shaping the nation’s shopping baskets
Exotic fruits such as grapes, melon, pineapple, and mango top the poll of what’s most likely to get cut followed by avocados and berries.
Nearly half (44%) are worried about how they will afford to eat healthily and many say they are lowering their standards by making the swap to cheaper quality meat (40%), frozen (45%) and tinned (39%) food.
A third (32%) admit they will fill up on pasta and rice, followed by baked beans (26%) and potatoes (25%) instead of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Other changes include making better use of leftovers (32%), home cooking (30%), shopping at cheaper supermarkets (31%) or choosing own label and reduced food (35%) and cutting out ‘treats’ such as chocolate and crisps (35%).
Over a third (38%) say they will also be enjoying fewer takeaways and meals out to reduce spending.
Morten Toft Bech, founder of Meatless Farm said: “Cutting down on fruit and veg and replacing this with carbohydrates and cheaper quality meat is not a viable option for the future of our nation’s health, and the findings in this study are concerning for both the nutrition of our nation and the environment.
“The cost-of-living crisis has presented a real red flag for the urgency for a food system that encourages a more balanced mix of affordable quality protein sources and plant-based food so that the nation’s health is not set back.”
The top ten fruit and vegetables Brits are cutting back on:
Exotic fruits (grapes, melon, pineapple, mango)
Avocados
Berries
Grapefruit
Fresh herbs
Peaches / nectarines
Sweet potatoes
Bananas
Apples
Peppers