It’s official: Ireland is cracked about eggs. Despite some changes to shopping and eating habits this year, egg consumption was up by 11 per cent, with new consumer data from Bord Bia revealing that over 656 million eggs have been sold in Ireland in the last year. Shoppers in Ireland consumed even more eggs during the first national lockdown.
The 12-week period from April to July saw a growth of over 20 per cent in consumption. When it comes to the nation’s favourite way to eat eggs, research shows that traditional cooking methods are hard to beat. One in four consumers are not afraid to whisk it, favouring scrambled eggs, while one in five people prefer their eggs boiled.
There were also some generational differences too; the research shows that Gen-Zers prefer scrambled eggs (40 per cent), whereas Baby Boomers prefer boiled eggs (24 per cent). Millennials equally favoured both scrambled (27 per cent) and fried eggs (27 per cent). Bord Bia is urging consumers to ‘Crack On’ and consider eggs beyond breakfast.
Ideal food
As consumers increasingly look for healthy protein sources, with one egg containing about 6g of protein, they are an ideal food as a post workout meal or a quick work from home lunch. Dietician Orla Walsh describes eggs as “nutritional powerhouses”, a prime source of protein with essential nutrients such as vitamins A, D and B12.
“They’re also great value for money and versatile too, so don’t let misconceptions about cholesterol or saturated fats stop you from making them for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Egg muffins are a great batch-cook option for snack time. Not only are they quick to make, but they can last days in the fridge,” Walsh added.
Bord Bia teamed up with food and parenting bloggers Gina Daly, author of The Daly Dish cookbook, and Cliona O’Connor to bring consumers recipes to enjoy eggs at lunch and dinner. The report contains Kantar buying data compared to the same period year-on-year and a nationally representative survey of over 1,000 Irish adults last month.
