Thursday 26 September 2024

Over 2000 UK adults nationwide took part in the annual Good Food Nation survey into how the nation eats, commissioned by the UK’s number one food media brand Good Food.

The survey reveals the cooking appliance most used in UK kitchens is toasters (77%) followed by microwave ovens (75%) with air-fryers in third place (58%), ahead of conventional electric ovens (51%) and conventional gas ovens (20%).

The Good Food Nation survey released today (Thursday 26 September) by Good Food, reveals key trends in how the nation eats, including the unstoppable rise of the air-fryer with 58% of people surveyed now owning one.  Air-fryer ownership was at 46% in 2023, according to last year’s Good Food Nation survey.

Across the generations, Gen X surveyed are most likely to have an air fryer in their kitchen (61%), whereas those aged 78 or over are the least likely, although the numbers are still high, almost half (49%) of those aged 78 or over say they own and use one.  The dominance air-fryers is reflected in the decline of conventional oven use, according to Good Food Nation, one third (33%) of us do not use conventional ovens.

As well as kitchen gadgets, the nationally representative Good Food Nation annual survey asked over 2000 adults across the UK about their attitudes and behaviours to food sustainability, food waste, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and dietary preferences.  The findings, featured in Good Food magazine’s October issue which also celebrates its 35th anniversary, reveal that while there is progress, there are still challenges in understanding how we can eat healthily and affordably while minimising the impact on the planet.

A surprising revelation in the survey was the popularity of a meat-based diet amongst younger generations, with Millennials (26%) and Gen Z (24%) most likely across the generations to say they eat meat every day of the week, whereas Baby Boomers (11%) and those aged 78 and over (2%) are least likely.

According to Good Food Nation, 60% of people don’t understand what a carbon footprint is. A quarter (25%) said they would change their diet if they knew more about its carbon impact.

The Good Food Nation findings show that many of us want to be more sustainable, with 29% willing to change their eating habits for the sake of the planet, however 32% see cost as a major barrier to eating sustainably.

Almost a quarter of people, 24%, said they are more likely to buy a product if it comes in sustainable packaging and over a fifth (23%) said it is important to them that their food choices are sustainable.

A fifth (20%) said they often choose brands that are known for their sustainable practice and 1 in 8 (12%) said a barrier to them eating sustainably is availability.

Just over a quarter (26%) of people surveyed by Good Food Nation do not throw away any food during a typical week.

On the Good Food website, which had over one billion page views last year, there were no air-fryer recipes in 2020, now there are 75. The top three Good Food air-fryer recipes are: Air-fryer baked potatoes, Air-fryer chicken breasts, and Air-fryer salmon.

The cooking appliances most used in UK Kitchens

As the popularity of air-fryers has soared, a surprising 33% of us don’t use a conventional oven to cook.

• Toaster (77%)

• Microwave oven (75%)

• Air-fryer (58%)

• Conventional electric oven (51%)

• Slow cooker (45%)

• Conventional gas oven (20%)

Meat consumption and dietary choices

On average, we eat meat four days a week – however, just under a fifth eat meat every day.

• Almost a fifth (19%) of people surveyed eat meat every day, whilst over a fifth (22%) eat it 5-6 days a week, almost a third (32%) eat it 3-4 days a week and almost a fifth (19%) eat it 1-2 days a week.

• Men are more likely than women to eat meat every day of the week (22% vs 16%).

• Millennials (26%) and Gen Z (24%) surveyed are most likely across the generations to eat meat every day of the week, whereas Baby Boomers (11%) and those aged 78 and over (2%) are the least likely.

• 7% follow a vegetarian diet

• 5% follow a pescetarian diet

• 3% follow a vegan diet

• Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (17%) are the most likely across the generations to be currently following a vegetarian, pescetarian or vegan diet, whereas Baby Boomers (8%) and people aged 78 or over (5%) are the least likely.

Sustainable eating

Across the board, people aspire to shop, cook and eat more sustainably, but there are challenges:

32% said a barrier to them eating sustainably is cost.

29% are willing to change their eating habits to be more sustainable

24% are more likely to buy a product if it comes in sustainable packaging

Over a fifth (23%) said it is important to them that their food choices are sustainable.

A fifth (20%) said a barrier to them eating sustainably is taste.

A fifth (20%) said they often choose brands that are known for their sustainable practice.

Almost a fifth (19%) said they have thrown food away in the past that could have still been eaten.

1 in 8 (12%) said a barrier to them eating sustainably is availability.

Millennials (34%) and Gen Z (33%) surveyed are more likely than Gen X (27%), Baby Boomers (26%), and people aged 78 or over (25%) to say they are willing to change their eating habits to be more sustainable.

Waste

Just over a quarter (26%) of us do not throw away any food during a typical week.

UPFs

Over three quarters (77%) understand the term ultra-processed foods (UPF).

Gen X surveyed are the most likely to understand the term ultra-processed foods (UPF) (78%), whereas people aged 78 or over are the least likely (71%).

Carbon Footprint

60% of people surveyed don’t understand what a carbon footprint is.

A quarter (25%) said they would change their diet if they knew more about its carbon impact.

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,003 General Consumers (Nat rep). The data was collected between 02.08.2024 – 05.08.2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

Terminology

• Terminology – Generations by age
• Generation Z – ages 16-26
• Millennial Generation – ages 27-42
• Generation X – ages 43-58
• Baby Boom Generation – ages 59-77
• 78+