But one in five, of the 2,000 adults polled, confess to being a “fruit and veg snob” – with 21 percent claiming they would throw away a perfectly edible item purely based on how it looked, like an artichoke (28 percent) or an avocado (21 percent).
However, with almost a third (29 percent) of the weekly food bill being spent on fruit and veg, 53 percent feel they need to eat more of these food groups than they currently do.
As a result, a new, dating-inspired online tool has been created, to help match up the unwanted fruit and vegetables sitting in the nation’s fridges, and produce tasty, waste-free recipes to save them from the bin.
The tool, “Soilmates”, was created by Oddbox, which is passionate about fighting food waste, and aims to inspire adults to get creating in the kitchen.
Heather Lynch, head of impact for the fruit and veg delivery company, which commissioned the study, said: “We want to change the destiny of thousands of vegetables, to help fight food waste and create tasty plates of food in the process.
“Not knowing what to do with leftover vegetables, or a lack of inspiration to turn them into delicious meals, is one of the most common causes of food waste at home.
““Soilmates” gives people the help they need to fight food waste in a fun and engaging way.”
Nearly one in six of those polled (15 percent) only need to use a few products in their recipes, but can’t help that they come in a multipack when shopping – leading them to discard the not-needed.
But encouragingly, only 12 percent admit to buying things when they know it’s more than likely they won’t get eaten.
Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) of those who do this claim the intentions are there, while 47 percent just want to appear healthy.
Shamefully, more than a third (36 percent) only buy these healthy foods because they want their fridge to look colourful.
Of those polled, via OnePoll, making soup (43 percent) was the most popular option for what to do with any “ugly” fruit and vegetables, while 23 percent prefer to turn them into smoothies.
And strawberries were voted the nation’s favourite food, with potatoes, bananas, and mushrooms following closely behind.
One in five (21 percent) admit they lack creativity in the kitchen, with 55 percent saying they want more variety when it comes to their overall diet and meal planning – as nearly four in ten (39 percent) are guilty of often repeating the same recipes each week.
However, 42 percent don’t let innovation issues get in the way, and will typically try to find a substitute if they are missing an ingredient.
Oddbox is working with internet sensation and food-waste disruptor, Martyn Odell – otherwise known as “Lagom Chef” – to demonstrate how easy it is to use up unwanted vegetables.
Martyn Odell said: “The new “Soilmates” tool is an amazing way to reduce food waste, and get people experimenting with fruits and vegetables they haven’t tried before.
“For example, something like beetroot isn’t on many people’s weekly food shop, but there are many ways to use them, from soups to salads – and “Soilmates” will provide people with a range of recipes if they are unsure what to do.”