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Daily Mirror

Lifestyle

Sarah Lumley

Nearly one in six Brits admit kitchen cupboard foods have been there five years or more

Nearly one in six Brits (15%) admit they have had food ingredients languishing at the back of their kitchen cupboards – for five years or more, research has found.

Some of the top store cupboard staples likely to go untouched for over a year after purchase include vinegar, stock cubes, flour, and sugar.

Dried pasta also ranks highly among unused foodstuffs, with 14% saying they can never seem to make their way through a whole bag of pasta.

And over a quarter (27%), of the 2,000 adults polled, admit they often struggle to include enough vegetables in their meals – despite having plenty of tinned veg sitting in the cupboard.

Loose rice, tinned tomatoes, cinnamon, and mustard round out the top 10 ingredients likely to sit in the pantry for over 12 months – as 12% say they never know how to finish off the latter.

The survey, commissioned by rice brand Tilda, found that the top reason for not using up store cupboard ingredients was that three-quarters of Brits simply feel uninspired by what is in their cupboards.

And almost a third (32%) experience the “store cupboard stare” – often looking in their pantries and fridges and walking away unenthused by what’s there.

When staring absently to see what they have in stock, 12% feel it’s “too much effort” to decide what to make – and 11% don’t think they’re creative enough to turn old ingredients into exciting dishes.

To tackle the lack of mealtime inspiration, the rice brand Tilda has created a recipe generator tool that helps you to make the most of your cupboard staples.

The poll was commissioned by the rice brand as part of the launch of their latest flavour, Ready to Heat Golden Vegetable Rice.

Spokeswoman Anna Beheshti said: “We know people lead busy lives, with little time to cook tasty and balanced dishes, including vegetables.

“In a bid to cut down on costs and make life a little bit more affordable, simple meals with fewer ingredients are increasing in popularity.

“All that’s needed is a little inspiration to help people make the most of their store cupboard staples.”

The research went on to find that with the recent increases in the cost of living, Brits have been purchasing 15% more “cupboard items” to bolster their store cupboards, and to help reduce the overall cost of their shopping baskets.

And 23% have been delving into the depths of their cupboards more over the last six months, to create more affordable meals.

Nearly one in six always buy new ingredients, rather than trying to use up food they already have in the cupboard (H. Klosowska/Getty Images)

However, 15% believe they have had ingredients lurking in the back of cupboards for five years or longer.

But when it comes to using up cupboard ingredients, nearly a third (30%) believe rice is the easiest cupboard staple ingredient to use – with 42% seeing it as a staple ingredient suitable for all of the family.

Brits admit they struggle most to feel inspired to make a midweek dinner (42%) – but find weekend lunches are the easiest, according to the OnePoll.com data.

Meanwhile, 15% aren’t even sure when was the last time they tried to create a meal purely with what they already had in cupboards and freezers, rather than buying new ingredients.

Anna Beheshti, for Tilda, added: “We live in a world full of flavour, and enjoying that doesn’t need to cost too much time or money. Store cupboard staples are often versatile, and can be eaten alongside a variety of dishes.

“With so many struggling to get enough veg into their diet, Ready to Heat Golden Vegetable Rice can be a solution to this.”

TOP FOODSTUFFS BRITS HAVE HAD IN THE CUPBOARD WITHOUT USING FOR A YEAR OR MORE: