We're worried: Most Irish people are trying to eat more healthily. Seven out of 10 people surveyed had reduced dietary fat and increased fruit and vegetables in the previous year. One-third had reduced calories and one-fifth had reduced alcohol.
We eat out a lot: On average, one-quarter of food and drink energy is consumed outside the home. Men aged 18-35 get more than one third (34.8 per cent) of their calories from restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and takeaways. For young women the figure is 28 per cent.
Our alcohol intake is significant: We get one-20th (5 per cent) of our calories from alcohol and one-25th (4 per cent) of our calories from vegetables (other than potatoes). Men consume two-and-a-half times more alcohol than women.
We consume most of our energy (59 per cent) from five food groups: meat and meat products (16 per cent); bread (14 per cent), potatoes (11 per cent), milk/yogurt/cheese (9 per cent) and biscuits/cakes/pastries (9 per cent).
Most of us don't eat low-fat spreads: nearly half (47 per cent) eat butter, a little more than one-quarter (28 per cent) eat low-fat spreads, and two-thirds (68 per cent) eat "other spreading fats" as well.
Many take food supplements: one-in-four of us (28 per cent) take supplements such as vitamin tablets regularly.
Source: The Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and University of Ulster) North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey 2001. www.iuna.net