The differing dietary habits of Baltic nations

Bread is the most popular food product with all the Baltic nations, a TNS Atlas survey has found.

In Lithuania, 59% of people savour some black rye bread at least once a day, while 43% eat white wheat bread. In Latvia, black bread is on the table daily of 37% of all people and 35% of Latvians eat white bread at least once a day. Sixty-one percent of Estonians eat black bread daily and 43% savour white bread.

“Most Lithuanians eat pork or beef at least once a week (71%), as well as cheese (58%) and ketchup (53%),” says Justina Tauginienė, project manager at TNS LT Media.

“Compared to their neighbours, Lithuanians consume more ready meals. Twenty-seven percent of them eat frozen easy-to-prepare fish, 11% eat instant soups and 7% go for frozen pizzas.

“Lithuanians also consume more oil, sausages and sweet biscuits. Compared to their neighbours, they eat less cheese, fish and pasta.”

Latvians have less of a taste for ready meals (15% eat frozen fish or fish fingers weekly, 8% regularly eat instant soups and only 2% like frozen pizzas. Ten percent of Estonians go for frozen fish, 4% like instant soups and 2% regularly eat frozen pizzas.

Latvians are the biggest meat eaters in the Baltics (80%). They also like sausages (55%) and rice (46%), but have less of a taste for biscuits (25%) and yoghurt (36%). Estonians eat more fish (44%) and pasta (51%) than their Baltic neighbours.

“Lithuanian men eat more white bread, meat products, ketchup, mayonnaise. Women more often than men eat yoghurt, chocolate and other sweets, corn flakes and porridge. Comparing eating habits across generations, youths more often opt for unhealthy foods. Meanwhile the elderly are more avid eaters of cottage cheese, fish and bread than other age groups,” according to Tauginienė.

Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the Baltic states. Twenty-two percent of Lithuanians, 20% of Latvians and 11% of Estonians enjoy a pint at least several times a week. Of the liquors, vodka remains the most popular choice among all the three Baltic nations. Sixteen percent of Lithuanians and Estonians drink vodka at least once a month, as do 13% of Latvians. Ciders are most popular in Estonia.

The TNS Atlas survey was conducted in January-May 2016 and involved 4,846 respondents aged 15-74 in the three Baltic states.