More than 15 million Brits admit their regular meals are tasteless, with everyday kitchen staples among the 'bland' list
More than 15 million Britons have admitted their regular meals are bland, with nearly a quarter eating uninspiring dishes several times a week. A survey of 2,000 adults found that plain pasta, boiled rice and rice cakes topped the list of Britain's most flavourless foods, despite being widely eaten.
Tofu, couscous and boiled potatoes also featured in the top 10, along with the classic jacket potato. More than half said they wished their everyday meals felt more exciting, while 31% admitted they want to be more adventurous with flavour but don't know where to begin. For 69%, having a new or exciting meal to anticipate lifts their spirits.
The research was commissioned by Lurpak, which found that 66% of Gen Z spend more time watching food content than any other generation, yet they save recipes from social media without ever preparing them – with 45% confessing they don't know how to get started. There's an obvious hunger for culinary inspiration amongst Gen Z, with 70% saying they find exploring new flavours motivating and 72% describing themselves as adventurous in the kitchen, the highest proportion of any age bracket.
Lurpak has teamed up with food scientist Natalie Alibrandi to recognise 'bland' as a sixth taste category in its own right, alongside sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Natalie Alibrandi said: "Bland food is not always food with no taste, often, it is food where there is no flavour strong enough to take the lead.
"A lot of everyday meals are perfectly good starting points, they may just need one flavour moment to bring them to life, for example, that could be aroma, heat or texture. "Flavour is functional - it helps to tell the brain what has been eaten, signals that a meal is complete, and triggers the reward response that makes food feel satisfying.
"Bland' is more than just boring – it's a real flavour experience when food is low on the things that make eating enjoyable like aroma, richness, texture and depth. That means meals can leave people feeling less rewarded and less satisfied.
" The research further disclosed that 28% of people feel less keen about eating when dishes are repetitive or tasteless. Meanwhile, 67% of Britons said meals bursting with flavour create stronger or more vivid memories.
Furthermore, 56% said satisfying, delicious food reduces cravings and makes the experience more memorable. Catriona Mantle, a spokesperson for Lurpak, which has marked the launch of its new Chilli and Garlic flavoured butter with the 'Haus of Flavour', an immersive experience in Kingsland Road on the 27th May, said: "Let's face it, everyday meals are often built around the same familiar favourites.
"There is nothing wrong with that - but sometimes the food we rely on most could do with a little more flavour. "The answer to bland food is not always more effort, sometimes it is about choosing one ingredient that can do more of the heavy lifting. "With the launch of our new butter, we want to help people bring more richness, heat and savoury depth to the meals they already make, without needing to completely rethink how they cook.
"Because everyday food should not just fill you up, it should be something you really look forward to eating. " TOP 10 BLANDEST FOODS ACCORDING TO BRITS:
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