LONDON, May 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

POTATOES are voted the nation's favourite vegetable, yet 41% of us are unaware that spuds don't count as one of the recommended 5-a-day 

- a shock for the North East, where 71% rate potatoes as a favourite vegetable

Most Brits find it hard to consume five portions of fruit & vegetables daily, so the team at V8 V-Fusion Juice wanted to understand what it is about fruit - and particularly veggies - that we find so hard to swallow.  V8 V-Fusion Juice's new research^[1] reveals:

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140528/689636 )

• The top three reasons the nation generally dislike vegetables: texture (44%), smell (29%), childhood fear (28%), didn't eat it as a child (15%).
  
• Surprisingly, the dreaded Brussels Sprout stole the No.7 spot on the most liked list (see Fig.1), dividing the nation and appearing on both the most loved and most hated lists, along with several other vegetable variants
  
• Age doesn't necessarily mean wisdom: 1 in 5 people aged between 35 and 44 have no idea what a beetroot looks like, compared to 1 in 10 18-24 year olds
  
• 40% of Brits have at least one day a week when NO fresh fruit or vegetables are eaten  
  
• Just 28% of the nation are consuming five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, recommended by the NHS, with a mere 6% of Brits consuming the newly-advised seven servings  
  

New V8 V-Fusion is made from 100% fruit and vegetable juice; providing one whole serving of fruit and one whole serving of vegetables in a 250 ml glass.

Kamalesh Subramaniam, Commercial Director at V8, said: "This study reveals the nation still needs help when it comes to getting a healthy intake of vegetables. One tasty glass of V8 V-Fusion is a simple step in the right direction for the shocking 70% who on a daily basis aren't getting enough fruit and vegetables". http://www.v8juice.co.uk

NATIONS TOP 10 DISLIKED VEG         NATIONS TOP 10 MOST LIKED VEG
1. Aubergine                        1. Potatoes
2. Celery                           2. Carrots
3. Spinach                          3. Mushrooms
4. Asparagus                        4. Peas
5. Brussels Sprouts                 5. Broccoli
6. Parsnip                          6. Cauliflower
7. Cabbage                          7. Brussels Sprouts
8. Leeks                            8. Cabbage
9. Broccoli                         9. Sweetcorn
10. Sweetcorn                       10. Parsnip

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1. Survey carried out on behalf of V8 V-Fusion by Atomik Research interviewed 1000 adults, 28 March 2014

SOURCE V8 V-Fusion