They say two heads are better than one, and the same seems true for vegetables.

The latest Project Harvest research in to consumer attitudes to vegetables has revealed Australians are seeking-out veggie combinations they feel go well together, with some delicious results.

“While Wave 16 of the project focused predominantly on Asian greens, beetroot, capsicum and sweet potato, we are seeing consumers regularly seeking out complementary vegetables to include in meals,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Tamara Ungar.

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers.

“According to the report, Asian greens are most commonly accompanied by carrots, onions, capsicums, and broccoli, while the view was that tomatoes, carrots and lettuce go best with beetroot.”

“Carrots, potatoes and green peas were the most popular accompaniments to sweet potato, and tomatoes, carrots and onions are regularly joining capsicum on the plate.”

The report also shed some light on the preferred cooking methods associated with different vegetable varieties, with Asian greens regularly stir fried, beetroot commonly boiled, roasted or eaten raw, sweet potato often roasted, and capsicum predominantly used in stir frys.   

“One of the many great things about vegetables is that there is such a vast array of varieties, tastes and colours to choose from, and this really allows people to get creative,” said Ms Ungar.

“What this data shows us is that consumers are more than happy to experiment with different combinations of vegetables, cooking styles and flavours, and that’s great news, not only for the industry but for the health of Australians in general.”

“In the lead-up to the festive season, we anticipate the appetite for fresh Australian vegetables is only going to increase and we would encourage consumers to get creative with their veggie choices this Christmas,”

Project Harvest is a monthly tracking survey of Australian vegetable consumption which examines consumer behaviour and attitudes in relation to various commodities.

The research has been funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:  Tamara Ungar, Senior Communications Officer, Phone: (03) 9882 0277, Mobile: 0400 980 480, Email: tamara.ungar@ausveg.com.au