With half of Brits not understanding the benefits of superfoods, it’s time to swap social-feed fads for staple diet substance to help make healthy choices easier.
Flack for not knowing your flaxseed? Research released today from Fry’s Family Foods reveals:
- Keen-WHAT? Although almost two thirds (57 per cent) of Brits understand quinoa to be a healthy source of protein, most of us (59 per cent) STILL can’t pronounce it
- Cornfused: A quarter of us (25 per cent) didn’t know what wholegrains were, going so far as to suggest popcorn might be one
- All cocoa-d up: Over half of Brits (54 per cent) couldn’t identify cacao versus cocoa as a superfood, with nearly the same number of people unsure as to why they would consume it
Despite ‘superfood’ being THE buzzword in the language of food for almost a decade, research released today from Fry’s Family Foods shows that almost half (42 per cent) of the population still can’t identify their spiralizers from their spirulina. Furthermore, while sales figures and food trends prove that the British appetite for healthy food with a ‘superfood’ name-check continues to grow, despite our love for NutriBullets and chia seeds, we have no knowledge about the benefits behind our healthier choices.
Thanks to the likes of Deliciously Ella, more than 80 per cent of the population can correctly identify flaxseed as a superfood, but half of us (51 per cent) have no idea why they should be eating them. And while social feeds sharing green smoothies may be recognised as the epitome of #cleaneating, most of us (78 per cent) confess to not understanding why.
The Proof is in the Protein: ‘Plant-based eating’ was dubbed this year’s number one food trend, yet over half of Brits (53 per cent) believe it impossible for vegetarians and vegans to consume the recommended daily amount of protein. Furthermore, 60 per cent said they had not cut down their meat intake in the last two years, because they assumed vegetarians to be less healthy than those who eat meat.
The basis for this assumption may lie in the fact that a third of Brits (31 per cent) don’t actually know where protein comes from, while a further third of the population (32 per cent) could only identify chicken as a source of protein, discounting options like spinach, broccoli and hemp seeds, which actually have more protein gram for gram than steak and chicken.
Tammy Fry, International Marketing Director of Fry’s Family Foods, who produce a range of frozen vegetarian and vegan products, said: “It’s surprisingly easy, varied and delicious for a vegan/vegetarian diet to meet the daily recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. One of the most interesting things about protein is that the body doesn’t discriminate between animal and plant-based sources, so the likes of spinach, broccoli, soy, beans and legumes are just as good – if not better – for you than meat.
“With no medical or legal definition as to what counts as a superfood, it’s unsurprising that we don’t always understand their health benefits. It is important however, that we don’t just follow the latest food trends but actually take the time to understand how and why the likes of kale and quinoa are valuable to our health so that they become an integral part of our diet in the future.”
Not just an arguably higher calibre source of protein, a further turnip for the books is that frozen foods could be superior in nutritional value than fresh produce, unknown by 38 per cent of Brits; meaning options like Fry’s Family Foods not only save families time and money, but also help to pack more nutrients into your diet.
Formed in 1992, Fry’s Family Foods’ range of products includes, burgers and sausages, Nature’s Plant Proteins, pies and pasties.
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We met with John Hartley, UK Country Director at Fry’s Family Foods UK to gain a better understanding of the business recently, the interview provides an insight to the business and can be seen here