We've got the Dough!
While energy and ingredients costs rise, our bakers know that bread is a very important part of Irish people’s diet and so must remain affordable, which, thankfully, it is.
Research has found that lunchtime is when most Irish people eat bread (70%). Over half (51%) start their day with it at breakfast, with one in five loving some bread with their evening meal. Why is that? Well, bread is comforting, it’s a staple part of our diets, it’s full of nutrients and what’s more, our brains and bodies need a constant supply of carbohydrates to function properly. Bread can provide the carbohydrate we need to give us the constant supply of energy to function properly and carry out daily activities and exercise. Carbohydrates are vital to ensure the brain, heart, nervous, digestive and immune systems work correctly. Without carbs in the diet, we can feel tiredness, fatigue, poor mental function and a lack of endurance or stamina. We need carbs!
The good news is that bread is an affordable and nutritious food, it’s baked fresh by our bakers every day, and it is a very good source of carbohydrate as well as vitamins, calcium, iron, protein, and fibre. Bread is also low in sugar and low in fat, so on its own, or combined with a meat, cheese or other protein or filling, it’s a convenient, versatile and inexpensive source of many of the nutrients that our bodies need.
While sandwiches remain the most typical way people in Ireland eat bread, its versatility makes it a popular food. From a slice of toast at breakfast to an accompaniment to a bowl of soup, French toast to Bread and Butter pudding, it’s not surprising that the sliced pan is still an important part of our lives and our diet in Ireland.
For more reading:
- Research was conducted as part of the iReach Consumer Omnibus Survey during February 2019 on a nationwide sample of 1,001 adults.
- Report is the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) Report on the Pattern of White and Wholemeal Bread Consumption in Irish Adults and Pre-School Children, (September 2016)
- Affordability and health push bakery innovation as companies navigate increased raw material and energy costs - https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/affordability-and-health-push-bakery-innovation-as-companies-navigate-increased-raw-material-and-energy-costs.html
- Lesaffre - https://www.lesaffre.uk/2023/03/13/almost-half-of-uk-consumers-consider-premium-bread-an-affordable-treat/
- Mintel Report - Bread & Baked Goods – Ireland – 2022 - https://store.mintel.com/report/bread-baked-goods-ireland-2022