Meath shoppers like their onions
Tesco has created a map of Ireland’s fruit and vegetable eating habits by analysing weekly data collected in all of its stores over the past 12 months and the results have shown that Meath and Laois shoppers buy a larger proportion of onions than the rest of the country.
The top 5-a-day in Meath include:
Bananas: With nearly 70 million sold in stores across Ireland every year, bananas also top the fruit and vegetable charts in Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. Bananas are a good source of tryptophan, carbohydrate and vitamin B6 – all of which help boost levels of mood-enhancing serotonin. They’re also rich in potassium which is good for nerve and muscle function.
Berries: Similar to the national rankings, berries come in at second place in Meath compared to first place in Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kildare and Mayo. Fresh berries are sourced from Keeling’s in North County Dublin where the family owned business has a team of 600 working directly on product supplied to Tesco stores including fresh fruit, vegetables and horticultural products.
Tomatoes: Tesco tomatoes are grown by the Foley brothers in County Dublin. This fruit is loaded with lycopene, an anti-oxidant that protects the body from cell damage and ageing. Tomatoes contain a host of benefits and are a must for your shopping basket. Available all year round, tomatoes contain only 14 calories per 100g (4oz) and are high in fibre and water, which can help you to feel fuller for longer.
Potatoes: Tesco potatoes are grown by the Hoey family in County Dublin. A mainstay of many dinners, the humble spud is wonderfully versatile so whether you boil, mash, bake or roast potatoes, you will have the basis for a good meal.Oranges: Citrus fruit are not commercially grown in Ireland as our temperate climate will not encourage growth so our supplier Keelings import from growers in the tropics and sub tropics to supply the Irish market.
At the other end of the charts, cauliflower, chillies and kale are the least popular in Meath compared to the rest of the country but that could all change this year with cauliflower tipped as a food trend for 2015 praised for its health benefits and low-carbohydrate credentials meaning this once unfashionable vegetable is being turned into cauliflower mash, cauliflower couscous, used as a gluten free pizza base and even grated to resemble rice.
Commenting about the results, Nutritionist Elsa Jones said: “It’s encouraging to see that Irish people are buying a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Getting your 5-a-day is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It’s also important to eat a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables as each colour provides a unique set of nutrients. For optimal health, aim to eat the five colours of the rainbow every day - red, orange, yellow, green and purple.”
Christine Heffernan, Tesco Ireland Corporate Affairs Director added: “One of the most interesting parts of our jobs is delving into food trends and regional flavour preferences. We know that it can be tricky to get your 5-a-day as part of a busy lifestyle and to make it easier on shoppers’ pockets, we continue to focus on lowering prices on the products that matter most to our customers including the fruit and vegetables on this list.”
For those cooking up an Easter Sunday roast, Tesco lamb whole leg joint and half leg joints are half price from April 1st to 7th. Tesco Bord Bia approved lamb joints come from an 80 acre farm in Ballycanew in Wexford where John Earle’s family have been farming the land for six generations. Pair this succulent meat with seasonal fresh vegetables and end the meal with a delicious fruit dessert.