UK’s 10 most bland meals ranked – and so they’re on a regular basis kitchen staples

A Lurpak-commissioned survey of 2,000 Brits has ranked the UK’s most boring foods eaten regularly – with plain pasta and boiled rice topping the list of blandest meals.

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More than 15 million Brits admit their regular meals are tasteless, with nearly a quarter eating disappointing dishes several times each week. A survey of 2,000 adults revealed that plain pasta, boiled rice and rice cakes top the list of Britain’s most flavourless foods, despite their widespread popularity. Tofu, couscous and boiled potatoes also made it into the top 10, alongside the traditional jacket potato.

Some 54% said they wanted their everyday meals to feel more exciting, and 31% admitted they want to be bolder with flavour but don’t know where to start. As for 69%, having a new or exciting meal to look forward improves their mood.

The study was commissioned by Lurpak, which discovered that 66% of Gen Z dedicate more time to viewing food content than any other generation, yet they bookmark recipes from social media without ever making them – with 45% confessing they don’t know how to get started.

There’s an obvious hunger for culinary inspiration amongst Gen Z, with 70% saying they find exploring new flavours motivating and 72% describing themselves as adventurous in the kitchen, the highest proportion of any age bracket.

Lurpak has teamed up with food scientist Natalie Alibrandi to recognise ‘bland’ as a sixth taste category in its own right, alongside sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.

Natalie Alibrandi said: “Bland food is not always food with no taste, often, it is food where there is no flavour strong enough to take the lead.

“A lot of everyday meals are perfectly good starting points, they may just need one flavour moment to bring them to life, for example, that could be aroma, heat or texture.”

“Flavour is functional – it helps to tell the brain what has been eaten, signals that a meal is complete, and triggers the reward response that makes food feel satisfying.

“Bland’ is more than just boring – it’s a real flavour experience when food is low on the things that make eating enjoyable like aroma, richness, texture and depth.

“That means meals can leave people feeling less rewarded and less satisfied.”

The study also revealed that 28% feel less enthusiastic about eating when dishes are repetitive or tasteless. Meanwhile, 67% of Britons said meals bursting with flavour create stronger or more vivid memories.

Additionally, 56% said satisfying delicious food reduces cravings and makes the experience more memorable.

Catriona Mantle, a spokesperson for Lurpak, which has marked the launch of its new Chilli & Garlic flavoured butter with the ‘Haus of Flavour’, an immersive experience in Kingsland Road on the 27th May, said: “Let’s face it, everyday meals are often built around the same familiar favourites.

“There is nothing wrong with that – but sometimes the food we rely on most could do with a little more flavour.

“The answer to bland food is not always more effort, sometimes it is about choosing one ingredient that can do more of the heavy lifting.

“With the launch of our new butter, we want to help people bring more richness, heat and savoury depth to the meals they already make, without needing to completely rethink how they cook.

“Because everyday food should not just fill you up, it should be something you really look forward to eating.”

TOP 10 BLANDEST FOOD ACCORDING TO BRITS:

1. Plain pasta

2. Boiled rice

3. Rice cakes

4. Plain oats

5. Plain tofu

6. Plain couscous

7. Boiled potatoes

8. Jacket potato (no butter or filling)

9. Boiled lentils

10. Plain quinoa