Men are worse than toddlers when it comes to eating fruit and vegetables, according to a new poll of mums.
Parenting on Female First
The survey, for Savse vegetable smoothies, reveals that pre-school children are consuming an average of 12 different types of fruit and vegetables a week compared to men who eat half this amount. In fact the analysis showed that the average man ate only 1.2 portions of fruit or veg a day.
Mums were questioned about the vegetable consumption within their household and whilst 85 per cent admitted that they regularly managed to give their offspring their five a day, rarely could the same be said for their husbands.
Adept at finding creative ways of encouraging small children to eat healthier, almost half of the mums polled admitted to using similar ‘stealth health tactics’ on their other half.
Suzie Robinson from Hertfordshire said: “My husband will only eat carrots and sweet corn; I am forever pureeing vegetables and sneaking them into sauces to widen his veg intake. I am concerned the kids will copy their father and end up being as picky as him.”
The consumption of fruit and vegetables is important as it helps to lower the risk of chronic disease, heart disease and some cancers.
Other tactics used by mums to disguise vegetables include covering with cheese or sour cream, hiding them in soups, blending them into smoothies or simply lying about the contents of meals.
The top five vegetables men hate the most were: cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, aubergine and mushrooms. A third of those questioned said their husbands never ate greens such as cabbage and broccoli.
Guka Tavberidze, founder of Savse, said: “Take chips out of the diet of many men and the reality is that there is too little vegetable content.
“Eating vegetables is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet and if men aren’t prepared to tuck in, it’s no surprise that their partners are resorting to stealth techniques.”
Savse, a new and surprisingly delicious vegetable smoothie invented in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia is set to revolutionise vegetable consumption in the UK. Recipes blend large quantities of vegetables with fruits to create a sweet taste. No sugar or preservatives are added.
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