UK | As far as New Year resolutions go, the two-week mark in January is often when the resolve of those goals starts to taper off. More than half (54 percent) of those Tesco UK surveyed admitted they usually last two weeks or less with a strict healthy eating resolution.
However, the research showed that Brits don’t need complex rules to stay healthy. Apparently, they are a nation of vegetable lovers - with almost half (46 percent) of people eating more vegetables than they did five years ago. Forty-seven percent have deliberately introduced more vegetables to their plates, citing trying to be healthier (82 percent), saving money (22 percent) and reducing their impact on the environment (25 percent) as the main reasons for upping their intake. Nearly one quarter (24 percent) are eating more plant-based foods.
Tesco sales data shows an increase in the public appetite for versatile salad veggies like avocado, which has seen a 46 percent increase in popularity since 2021, and cucumber, which has seen an increase of 41 percent. Sales of products, including asparagus, baby corn and leeks, have all increased, as have pulse products, including tinned chickpeas and lentils, which have soared in popularity since 2021 by 21 percent and nine percent, respectively.
Attitudes to veg’s place in a weekly menu have changed dramatically. Forty-five percent of people are eating less meat than they were five years ago, with 62 percent saying they eat no meat at all on two days or more in an average week, showing that Britain is embracing a more ‘flexitarian’ way of eating, despite 38 percent admitting to having never heard the term before.
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) say that they now eat more greens, 68 percent eat more root veg like carrots and sweet potato, and 62 percent eat more salad veg such as lettuce and peppers. Even the roast dinner has changed, with nearly half (48 percent) saying their roast dinner involves more veg now and 60 percent saying they serve three or more different types of vegetables with their Sunday roast or equivalent family meal.
Tesco is committed to making healthier diets more accessible and has commissioned the research to highlight that we don’t have to make significant changes or set drastic resolutions to live a little better. Sixty-one percent of the UK admitted that when they make a small change to their diet – such as committing to a ‘meat-free day’ or adding one or more extra portions of fruit or veg to their plate – they’re more likely to stick to it, rather than a major change such as becoming vegan.
To help customers, Tesco has ‘Better Basket’ zones in stores to signpost better choices at affordable prices, helping shoppers to fill their baskets with better choices every time they shop without costing them more. Tesco also makes fruit and veg more accessible by lowering prices across a selection of fresh produce through Clubcard Prices and Aldi Price Match. Two-thirds of products included in Aldi Price Match are healthy, and that’s on top of Fresh 5, giving customers reduced prices on five lines of fresh produce every two weeks.
Neel Shah, Development Chef at Tesco, said that adding veg or pulses to your meals is an affordable way to make them healthier and tastier. Veg is versatile, whilst pulses such as lentils are an easy and delicious way to pack nutrients like fibre and protein.
“We’re all looking to eat better, especially in January, when we tend to think more about our diet, but it doesn’t have to be a significant change to make an impact,” said Shah.
Shah continued that it could be as easy as adding one more variety of vegetables to a Sunday roast, using sweet potatoes for mash rather than white potatoes, or adding celery, carrots, and courgettes to your pasta sauce.
“Using leftover vegetables and cutting them up into small pieces can be a great way to sneak a variety of veggies into recipes like sauces, curries and stews – great for kids as keeping them small they don’t notice. It’s the little things that can make a big difference.”
Lynn Youthed, a Tesco colleague, said getting the family to eat more vegetables and pulses can be tricky, but for Youthed, it was about adding them to meals with lots of flavour, like pasta bakes or curries.
“That way, it’s really easy, doesn’t cost extra, and I don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen. I’ve always got tinned and frozen veg in the house to add to these meals,” said Youthed.
