Divide in healthy food spending
Updated on 10 July 2009
Shoppers spend an average of £470 a year on fruit and vegetables and £147 a year on unhealthy snack food, according to new figures.
The analysis by mySupermarket.co.uk shows a sharp divide between North and South, with those in London and the South East spending more than £100 more on fruit and veg than those in Scotland and the North East.
Spokesman for the price comparison website Jonny Steel said: "We had hoped that the North/South divide was a term from the last century, but unfortunately there are clear differences between people's average spend on fruit and vegetables in the North and South of Britain.
"While spending on fruit and vegetables far outweighs spending on snack foods, there is still a misconception amongst some shoppers that healthy foods are more expensive than convenience snack foods.
"Snacking on fruit and vegetables can be more cost-effective than buying pre-prepared snacks, not to mention the nutritional benefits of following a diet with lots of portions of fruit and veg and low in saturated fat."
The healthiest region appears to be London and the South East, where shoppers spend an average of £523 on fruit and veg and £124 on snacks.
Scotland and the North East are at the bottom of the league table.
In Scotland, shoppers spend £418 on fruit and veg and £156 on snacks, and in the North East they spend £403 on healthy food and £153 on snacks.
The website, which says supermarkets maintain uniform pricing across the country, analysed 250,000 orders.
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