Survey shows Irish shoppers go bananas for fruit and vegetables

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away then people in Cavan must be as fit as fiddles.

A recent study by Tesco has revealed that Cavan shoppers buy a larger proportion of apples than the rest of the country.

The supermarket analysed weekly data collected in stores in the Republic of Ireland over 12 months to discover national and regional five-a-day fruit and veg preferences, and it makes for an interesting read.

Nearly 70 million bananas are sold in stores every year, so they naturally top the charts in most counties.

They slip to the second-most popular fruit in Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kildare and Mayo, which favour fresh berries over bananas.

As a nation, we seem to despise cauliflower and kale, which are the least popular overall.

All 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.

Fruity Corkonians favour fruit over vegetables, with bananas, berries, tomatoes and oranges taking the top four in Cork, followed by potatoes as the top veg.

The least popular included; cauliflowers, chillies and kale.

Wexford shoppers could be ahead with this trend, as they buy a larger proportion of cauliflower than the rest of the country.

Dubliners are more into food trends more than any other county last year with two of 2014’s trendiest ingredients; kale and avocado more popular in Dublin than the rest of the country.

They also snap up bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, peppers, grapes, mushrooms, apples and onions in their weekly shop.

Spicy Sligo cooks clearly enjoy adding some flavour to their meals - they buy a larger proportion of chillies and fresh herbs than the rest of the country.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kerry shoppers are cool as a cucumber buying more cucumbers than anywhere else.

Donegal shoppers are displaying a sweet tooth, preferring to buy a larger proportion of berries, oranges and sweet potato.

Offaly shoppers favour root vegetables, buying a larger proportion of potatoes and swede than the rest of the country.

"It’s encouraging to see that Irish people are buying a wide variety of fruit and vegetables," says nutritionist Elsa Jones.

"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.”

Regional top 5-a-day preferences include;

Cavan: Cavan shoppers buy a larger proportion of apples, bananas and tomatoes than the rest of the country. The county’s top 5 a day include; bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, berries and oranges.

Carlow: Bananas and potatoes take the top two spots in Carlow followed by berries, tomatoes and oranges. The county’s top 5 a day include; bananas, potatoes, berries, tomatoes and oranges.

Clare: Clare shoppers buy a larger proportion of cabbage, carrots, parsnips and grapes than the rest of the country. The county’s top 5 a day include; berries, bananas, tomatoes, oranges and grapes.

Cork: Cork’s top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, oranges and potatoes.

Donegal: Donegal’s top 5 a day include; berries, bananas, tomatoes, oranges and potatoes.

Dublin: Dublin’s top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Galway: Galway shoppers buy a larger proportion of broccoli, peppers and sweet potato than the rest of the country. The county’s top 5 a day include; berries, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Kerry: The county’s top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, oranges and potatoes.

Kildare: Berries, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Kildare.

Leitrim: Bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Leitrim.

Limerick: Bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Limerick.

Laois: Laois and Meath are among the top onion buyers in the country. The Laois top 5 includes; bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges

Longford: Longford over indexes on lettuce and mushrooms and the county’s top five a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Louth: Compared to the rest of the country, Louth shoppers buy a larger proportion of leeks and onions. The county’s top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Mayo: Berries, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Mayo.

Meath –Meath and Laois are among the top onion buyers in the country. The Meath top 5 includes; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Monaghan: Compared to the rest of the country, Monaghan over indexes on sales of pears and leeks. The top 5 a day in the county include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Offaly: The top 5 a day in the county include; bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges.

Roscommon: Berries slip to third place in Roscommon’s top 5 a day chart with bananas in first followed by potatoes, berries, tomatoes and oranges.

Sligo: Sligo’s top 5 a day includes; bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges.

Tipperary: Bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Tipperary.

Waterford: Compared to other counties, Waterford over indexes for swede sales and the counties top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges.

Westmeath: Bananas, berries, potatoes, tomatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Westmeath.

Wexford: Wexford’s top 5 a day include; bananas, berries, tomatoes, oranges and potatoes.

Wicklow: Bananas, berries, tomatoes, potatoes and oranges take the top five spots in Wicklow.