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Study reveals UK tops European junk food league table

12 Apr 2021
Meal box delivery company HelloFresh surveyed more than 15,000 people in nine European countries and found the UK came top of the junk food league table with Brits consuming twice as much as the European average.

Brits aged 16-24-years-old eat more junk food than any other age group in Europe and Belfast was named the 'junk food capital' of Europe. In total 17 UK cities feature in the list, with six of them placing in the top ten.

While many of the UK’s neighbours eat junk food on average three times a month, Brits consume double that, indulging six times a month on average.

The UK’s reliance on junk food could be due to a lack of cooking knowledge. Almost 44% of Brits said they had ruled out some food because they don't know how to cook it, while just over a third are confident cooking with all food and ingredients.

Senior chef Mimi Morley from HelloFresh, said: “A lack of cooking knowledge is clearly leading to increased reliance on junk food and ready meals, especially within the younger generation. And it’s easy to see why; with many of us juggling busy lives, convenience is a huge factor in the meals we decide to eat.”

Top ten European cities that eat the most junk food per month:

  • Belfast (UK): 7.45
  • Mons (Belgium): 7.32
  • Birmingham (UK): 6.69
  • Glasgow (UK): 6.63
  • Newcastle (UK): 6.55
  • Brussels (Belgium): 6.22
  • Namur (Belgium): 6.10
  • Edinburgh (UK): 6.02
  • Liege (Belgium): 5.97
  • Manchester (UK): 5.75