Ireland's favourite evening meal is the traditional meat and two veg, a major survey has revealed.
’What Ireland Ate For Dinner Last Night’ proves the classic dish is still number one on the nation's menu.
The Bord Bia survey of over 7,000 evening meals shows that children are somewhat more adventurous with spaghetti bolognese being their favourite dinner.
The Irish Food Board released the results of an in-depth national study into our changing evening meal consumption habits.
A Bord Bia spokesman said: “Carried out in partnership with Red C Research, the research was designed to understand the changing dynamics of people’s evening mealtime habits, including the gap between what we say and what we do, and ultimately identify opportunities for the Irish food, drink and horticulture sectors.”
Researchers surveyed a sample of 5,925 adult and 1,841 child evening meals collected over seven consecutive days.
Key findings of the study include:
- Classic ‘meat and two veg’ was the number one evening meal type eaten by adults in 2019, accounting for 11% of all adult dinners. Chicken dishes and pasta with sauce meals, such as Spaghetti Bolognese, were in 2nd and 3rd spot at 10%.
- Pasta with sauce meals, such as Spaghetti Bolognese, was the number one meal type eaten by children, making up 14% of all evening meals.
- Red meat is the most popular meat consumed in Irish households, on 29% of all dinner plates followed by chicken at 21%.
- Dairy is a key part of evening meals among Irish consumers, with 17% of all meals containing cheese.
Four in 10 adults say health factors influence their choice for dinner but just one percent of meals prepared at home in the last seven will have been vegan.
The study found that there is no longer a ‘one size fits all’ approach to evening meals, with a significant rise in the number of households preparing different meals for different family members.
One in 10 evening meals are now eaten in different rooms and more than 7 in 10 meals involve a device being active (e.g. a TV, Smartphone, or tablet).
Takeaways and home deliveries account for almost 1 in 10 (9%) of all evening meals eaten over the course of a week, rising to 15% on a Friday or Saturday. A further 11% of evening meals are eaten out of the home. Chinese food is the most popular takeaway choice in Ireland, while pizza is the most popular home delivery choice.
According to Grace Binchy: “As our lives grow increasingly busier, the study captures a move away from the traditional evening meal as we know it. With nearly half of adults claiming to enjoy cooking, but only when there is enough time available to do so, convenience emerged as an extremely important consideration when choosing what to eat in the evening”.
Top 10 adult meal types
1. Meat & Two Vegetables
2. Chicken Dish (for example Roast Chicken)
3. Pasta with Sauce (for example Spaghetti Bolognese)
4. Italian Foods (for example Pizza & Lasagne)
5. Diner Style Favourites (for example Burger or Steak & Chips)
6. Fish Dish (for example Fish Bake or Fish & Chips)
7. Light Meal (for example Toasted Sandwich or Beans on Toast)
8. Chinese / Oriental meal
9. Stew or Casserole
10. Indian Dish (for example Chicken Tikka Masala, Korma, Curry)
Top 10 children’s meal types
1. Pasta with Sauce (for example Spaghetti Bolognese)
2. Chicken Dish (for example Roast Chicken)
3. Meat & Two Vegetables
4. Italian Foods (for example Pizza & Lasagne)
5. Diner-Style Favourites (for example Burger or Steak & Chips)
6. Stew or Casserole
7. Fish Dish (for example a Fish Bake or Fish & Chips)
8. Chinese / Oriental Meal
9. Indian Dish (for example Chicken Tikka Masala, Korma, Curry)
10. Light Meal (for example Toasted Sandwich or Beans on Toast)
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
