What you need to know about Australians’ eating habits
A survey revealed that 50% of Australians eat a meal on the go at least once a week.
An independent survey commissioned by the Foodco Group – owners of the Muffin Break, Jamaica Blue and Dreamy Donuts franchise brands –showed 13 per cent of Australians skip breakfast every day, with almost half missing the most important meal at least once a week and only 34 per cent said they never miss breakfast.
Interestingly, 3 per cent said they start their day with a workout at the gym or in the bedroom, while 16 per cent said that was how they would like their day to start.
In the eating out stakes the traditional favourite of bacon and eggs took top spot on the breakfast menu while muffins, toast and pancakes were a favourite of 1 in 5.
The Woolcott survey showed 50 per cent of Australians eat a meal on the go at least once a week while only 41 per cent said they eat out with the same frequency.
However, more than one quarter of those surveyed said they ‘very rarely’ eat on the go and 13 per cent said they never do.
The evidence showed on average Australians spend more on restaurants than cafes, food stands and fast food outlets combined and revealed the most important factor on deciding where to dine was the appearance and smell of the food on offer.
Smell was also found to be the major influence when people considered buying baked goods.
The more in depth questions showed sandwiches and rolls were the most sought after pre-prepared lunch items followed closely by hot meals such as pasta and pizza.
On the hot topic of muffins versus cupcakes the surprising winner was the muffin by a significant margin.
The cupcake only received the nod ahead of the muffin from 18 per cent of those surveyed while more than 50 per cent said they prefer the richness of a flavourful muffin.
However, 4 per cent of the group, the majority of which were men, said they had never tried a muffin.
Berry muffins won out in the running for the favourite flavour with 32 per cent of the vote while chocolate chip was the most overrated with 57 per cent of Australians thinking it was the most sought after.
Muffin size also generated some interest with 61 per cent of respondents saying they would rather a full sized muffin over the quick fix a mini muffin provides.
