Revealed: Most common, popular foods in UAE as eating patterns shift post-Covid

Cereals remain the most popular and most common food that is eaten by UAE residents followed by vegetables and fruits as eating patterns of the people are gradually shifting towards value-added, convenient, and healthier alternatives after the coronavirus pandemic, said a new report.

“Being the staple food of the region, cereals will continue to remain the most consumed food category. However, it is expected to witness a modest growth rate over the five years as compared to the rest of the food categories.

“The vegetable food category is projected to secure the highest annualised growth rate while consumption of meat in the GCC is likely to record marginal gains as consumers turn health conscious amid the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and growing demand for fresh produce and pesticide-free food with high nutritional value,” according to the GCC Food Report released by the UAE-based investment banking advisory firm Alpen Capital.

The growing population, coupled with expatriates and tourists returning to the UAE and the GCC following the Covid-19 pandemic, have supported the rise in food demand.

In the UAE, cereals accounted for 37.4 per cent of the people’s meals on average while fruits and milk/dairy products accounted for 17.6 per cent and 8.5 per cent of the total, respectively. Among the other categories, vegetables accounted for 17.4 per cent and meat made up 11.8 per cent of total food residents ate.

Going forward, the report projected that the meat in the residents' diet plan will substantially increase followed by vegetables, cereals, fruits and milk.

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