Survey Reveals Snacking Habits Of TV Sports Fans

Survey Reveals Snacking Habits Of TV Sports Fans

Sachin Tendulkar sets a good example by eating a banana during a Test match against England at The Oval. Just 17 percent of those watching the game on TV would have done the same according to the Wonderful Pistachios survey.

©REUTERS / Action Images

A new study* by Wonderful Pistachios suggests that as we gather around the TV to watch the sport this summer, including Test, One-Day International and Twenty20 cricket, the lean athletes we see on the track and pitch will not be motivating us into changing our bad eating habits.

According to the study we are most likely to be grazing on unhealthy snacks when we tune in to follow the sport on TV. Our top three favourite snacks, when watching sport, are crisps, chocolate and biscuits, with only 17% of respondents choosing to snack on healthy fruit.

Similarly, we tend to comfort eat when the sports team we are following on TV is losing; respondents admitted that they are almost twice as likely to snack on something unhealthy, rather than take the healthy option when their team is losing.

At half time we all go mad! Nearly half of all respondents said that they still viewed half time as the perfect opportunity to take a break and stop for a snack.

Interestingly our snack of choice has not changed much over the last 30 years. Back in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, 51% of us were tucking into crisps as we sat down to watch the match.

For people looking for a tasty snack that works as part of a balanced lifestyle, Wonderful Pistachios are a great option. A 30-gram serving contains 160 calories and provides a variety of different vitamins and minerals. With each serving providing three grams of dietary fibre they are also one of the highest fibre nuts. Moreover the empty shells offer a visual cue of how many we have already eaten.

Renowned for their large size and quality, Wonderful Pistachios are available in four tasty varieties – Roasted Salted, Roasted No Salt, Salt and Pepper and the recently launched Sweet Chili. With a perfect mix of sweetness, crunch and tangy chilli peppers, Wonderful Pistachios Sweet Chili has a warming kick to set taste buds tingling. Wonderful Pistachios is the only flavoured pistachio brand in the UK and is available in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

*Survey of 1035 adults for Wonderful Pistachios was carried out by Opinion Matters between 25 / 04 / 2012 and 08 / 05 / 2012