Contents of Britain's fruit bowls revealed

It's now a mango a day keeps the doctor away as a new survey reveals that we are getting more and more experimental with the fruits we buy.

Tropical choices

Teacher won’t be wanting an apple anymore. Because, according to a survey by Asda, three quarters of UK fruit bowls now contain at least five different types of fruit. Fifteen years ago, only a quarter of fruit bowls boasted the same amount. 

Brits have extended their fruit-eating repertoire to more exotic fruits, especially mangoes, blueberries, kiwi and pineapple.

Super lady fruits

The research found that gender and age have a significant effect on our fruit choices. Women aged between 20-30 are the most likely to opt for a bowl which contains 'super fruits', with kiwis, strawberries, pomegranates and cherries all featuring in their preferred lists. 

Nearly seven in 10 women (68%) claim to opt for super fruits because they have been inspired by magazines and news articles which rave about the various health benefits of the different fruits.   

In contrast, men over 60 prefer a 'traditional bowl' with the main players including apples, bananas, grapes, oranges and pears. Nearly eight in ten men over 60 agree with the age-old ‘apple a day’ saying by declaring apples as their top choice of fruit.

Bananas are best  

However, despite our cravings for the exotic, bananas are still top of the shopping list. They’re found in eight out of 10 homes, and 87% of us buy a bunch each week. 

Damon Johnson, Asda’s head of fresh produce quality, says, “We’ve seen a real surge in demand for different types of fruit in the last few years, which is why we’re selling more types than ever before.”

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