You are what you eat—though only if you like to cook, research finds

Almost half of all Australians claim to receive regular complements on their cooking, Roy Morgan Research found. Out of these, nearly 19% are more likely to enjoy eating vegetarian food than the average Australian, while those more likely to prefer eating bagels and health food don’t come far behind.

The “complimented” group in fact tends to be more likely than the average Australian to enjoy eating most kinds of food, from salads and seafood to hamburgers and hot chips.

On the flip-side, 21% of respondents said they would “rather clean than cook any day​”, and these don’t share the culinary enthusiasm of the foodie camp. 

They are 12% less likely than average to enjoy vegetarian cuisine, 17% less likely to like bagels, and 9% less likely to enjoy health food. They are also less likely to enjoy sushi, seafood, salads and soups than the average Australian, though are more likely to enjoy chicken nuggets and hot dogs.

“Our latest findings reveal that a person’s cooking skills appear to be linked to their enjoyment of food in general​,” said Angela Smith of Roy Morgan Research. 

“People who often receive compliments on their cooking are more likely to enjoy eating 20 of the 21 food types we measured, spanning healthy, international and fast-food options.” 

The group is exactly average when it comes to their enjoyment of the one remaining food type: Chiko Rolls.

“People who’d rather clean than cook tend to be young couples living together or members of older households. In general, they dine out less than the average Australian except for when it comes to eating at fast-food restaurants, for which they are slightly above average​.”

However, Smith warned the industry not to take for granted consumers’ interest in food.

“It’s important for food marketers and retailers to remember that not everyone worships at the altar of celebrity chefs and aspires to culinary greatness. However, these people do need to eat, so it’s a matter of finding a way to communicate with them that resonates​.”