As we are all racing towards new nutrition trends, speaking more about gut health than ever before and generally learning more about food and what it can do for our bodies, the foodies at Green Chef wondered just how much we really know about food.
In a survey of 1,001 UK respondents, they learned that when it comes to food knowledge, us Brits have a long way to go and we, uh, really don’t know much about vegans, it turns out.
Do you know what a swede looks like? And what vegans can and can’t eat?
If you said yes to both of these questions, you’re doing a little better than some of Green Chef’s respondents.
Their data revealed that over half (52%) of Brits did not recognise a swede and a further third of respondents actually identified a swede as a turnip.
Now, given that Brits over the age of 55 were more likely to correctly identify this vegetable than the younger generations, it’s fair to suggest that maybe they’re not that popular anymore?
However, swedes are great in so many recipes. BBC Good Food has a range of recipes that include swedes like roast chicken dinner, neeps and tatties, and vegetable gratin.
They’re also great for your health! According to Jamie Oliver: “Swede is a great source of vitamin C. Three tablespoons of cooked swede is one portion of your 5-a-day (one portion of veg or fruit is 80g raw weight).”
Additionally, despite awareness-raising initiatives such as meat-free Mondays and Veganuary, more than two fifths of Brits (43%) don’t know what the vegan diet is and close to a quarter of Brits (21%) think vegans do eat dairy products.
This is perhaps less surprising if, like me, you’ve told a grandparent that you’re no longer eating meat and they responded with, “surely chicken doesn’t count?”
“We’ve almost taken a step back as a nation”
Registered Nutritionist, Lily Keeling, commented on the research saying: “Despite the constant media noise around using food, nutrition and personalised diet choices as a vehicle for increased mental and physical performance, this research would suggest we’ve almost taken a step back as a nation, which is disheartening to see.”
Keeling added: “At Green Chef, we want to use our platform to empower Brits with the tools, know-how and nutritious ingredients they need to make informed decisions about their food intake, to promote physical and mental well-being.”