Biscuits, iced buns and Victoria sponge ‘deemed unhealthy and outdated’

Too sweet or not too sweet, that is the question…

A new study reveals that traditional teatime favourites, such as chocolate biscuits, iced buns and even the classic Victoria sponge are deemed unhealthy and outdated, by health-conscious young Brits. In fact, almost a third (29 percent) of those polled would not dream of enjoying a cream bun for elevenses or afternoon tea, while scones with jam (23 percent), flapjacks (13 percent) and a slice of Victoria Sponge (30 percent) are also old fashioned, according to many of the 2,000 youngsters asked for this research.

And 25 percent would never drink tea with milk and sugar – meaning the classic cuppa with “milk and two sugars” may also die out within a generation.

Overall, almost half (45 percent) insist they would only eat protein as a snack, while a third  (31 percent) have a daily protein goal to hit – with hard-boiled eggs (32 percent), protein shakes (21 percent) and slices of chicken or ham (12 percent) among the top choice of morning and afternoon snacks for younger Brits.

Other foods Gen Z eat, according to the poll by British Lion Eggs, include nuts (19 percent), carrots with houmous (16 percent) and salmon (24 percent)

Reasons Brits are opting for protein rich snacks include that they keep you fuller for longer (55 percent), are good for muscle building and repair (30 percent) and help keep your weight down (23 percent).

A spokesperson for British Lion eggs:

“It is clear to see from the research that health-conscious Brits are looking to change up their snack routine and increase their protein each day so that they can stay fuller for longer, manage their weight and stay strong, with eggs one of the most nutritious, natural, cost-effective and versatile ways to do this.”

It’s no surprise half (49 percent) of the 18- to 30-year-olds surveyed describe themselves as health conscious, with 48 percent going a step further and admitting they try to avoid cakes and biscuits in the office as much as they can.

74 percent prefer to bring their own healthy food into the office, with 27 percent so proud that they regularly post images of their healthy snacks to Instagram and TikTok, using the hashtags #healthy (33 percent), #healthysnacking (19 percent) and #protein (16 percent). More than half (52 percent) believe that younger Brits are more health conscious than previous generations, with 50 percent saying that modern Brits are more likely to choose sugar free snacks than other generations.

 ‘Outdated Teatime Classics’

1. A slice of chocolate cake – 31%
2. A slice of Victoria sponge – 30%
3. An iced bun – 30%
4. A cream bun – 29%
5. A custard slice – 27%
6. A cup of tea with dairy milk and sugar – 25%
7. A scone with cream and jam – 23%
8. A chocolate biscuit – 16%
9. A toasted teacake – 15%
10. A flapjack – 13%

‘Modern teatime snacks’

1. Greek yoghurt – 35%
2. Hard-boiled eggs – 32%
3. A protein bar – 26%
4. Avocado – 24%
5. A protein shake – 21%
6. Salmon – 20%
7. A handful of nuts – 19%
8. Carrots with houmous – 16%
9. A hard-boiled egg and spinach – 14%
10. Slices of ham or chicken – 12%