You may be surprised to hear that the carrot has been victorious in claiming the title of Ireland’s favourite vegetable, even though you thought it might have been the potato! Despite Ireland being known for its floury, delicious spuds, when EVOKE teamed up withMash Directto officially find out what Ireland’s favourite vegetable is, we were pretty surprised with the result of the survey! Today's top videos It seems we are all quite the traditionalists when it comes to our veg and despite all the new trendy vegetables now available on the market, from a choice of ten different vegetables,carrotswere the winner! That’s right. The humble, sweet but tender, carrot is the most sought after vegetable on the dinner table! Let’s look at the stats of our survey conducted across almost 1000 respondents: Carrots (75%) were named as one of the top three vegetables favoured by Irish consumers, and close behind it, potatoes (73%), with broccoli coming in a healthy third place at 57%. When respondents were asked to name the veg they consumed ‘in their main meal yesterday,’ the same three vegetables topped the poll. 68% of those surveyed had carrots for dinner, with an additional 63% going for potatoes and 34% chowing down on some broccoli. While we were left floored that potatoes didn’t take the top spot, the overall results are not so shocking… The majority of respondents, 55%, stated that potatoes are the vegetable they have eaten most often in the past month versus any other veg, and then we asked the hardest question of all… When it came to choosing their FAVOURITE type of spuds, 37% of respondents said mashed, while 31% cited roasties as their favourite. Either way, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the Mash Direct potato options, from Mashed, Roasted, Salt and Chilli Wedges to award-winning Beer Battered Chips, Cheesy Mash, Creamy Garlic potatoes, and their brand new, just launched Curry Chips… to name a few! Talk about a tough decision. So, what else did the survey reveal? The numbers don’t lie! Again, these choices should come as no shock, as the survey also revealed that ‘meat and two vegetable’ dinners are still a firm favourite in Ireland. When you think of ‘meat and two vegetable’ dinners, vegetables that can actually grow in Ireland such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, broccoli, and cauliflower areof coursethe first things that are going to come to mind! View this post on Instagram Thus, it’s no surprise these nostalgic vegetables topped the survey while a ‘meat and two vegetable’ dinner beat out the likes of pasta, a curry, or a salad. You can’t mess with a classic! When asked about food waste,a high percentage of respondents agreed with the statement “I can’t stand food waste.” However, sadly a pretty big 35% confessed to being guilty of food wasteespeciallywhen it comes to vegetables. This is where Mash Direct comes to the rescue. Customers of Mash Direct can be assured that the veg on their plate has arrived thus far with minimal waste because at Mash Direct no vegetable is too ugly to be included in the final line-up! With six generations of farming expertise, Mash Direct has grown from 70 to 1,650 acres of fields that are tailored to growing heritage varieties of vegetables grown for their distinct flavour. In addition, all of the products at Mash Direct have very low-food miles. It also seems that despite us having more time on our hands in lockdown, a large proportion of us (45%) still tend to purchase pre-prepared convenience vegetables ready for the microwave or oven. Finally, when choosing pre-prepared veg, health and nutrition is the most important thing that customers look for in terms of on-pack information. 70% of respondents said they looked at the traffic lights symbols on the pack (indicators for low to high fat, salt, sugar, and saturated fat), 23% cared most about the nutritional information and 20% check for artificial additives, preservatives and colourings. Mash Direct don’t add any artificial colourings or flavourings to their products. They gently steam cook their veg to retain as many nutrients as possible, meaning that you get the healthy boost you need. Absolutely all of Mash Direct’s products are gluten-free, ALL of them. That means that they are perfect for people who have gluten intolerances or just like to lead a gluten-free lifestyle. Finally, the majority of respondents (62%) stated that they have had their five-a-day ‘most of the time’ in the last 30 days. This is a very positive finding from the survey and Mash Direct customers can be reassured that the brand has received approved ‘one of five a day’ status on eight of the products in their portfolio. Cooked to perfection using specially designed steam cookers on the farm, Mash Direct offers the delicious taste and texture of homemade food. Best of all? You can order all of Mash Direct’s range straight to your front door! TheWinter Warmer hamperis the perfect thing to order right now for warm and filling dinners this February. Mash Direct’s innovative range is available in major retail multiples, convenience stores and independents throughout Ireland. You can also order online from their websitehere.
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Guide to Traditional Irish Food - Tenon ToursA Traditional Irish Breakfast Will Have You Saying, 'Top O' the Morning to Ya!'