FSS data confirmed that the Scottish population purchased more home cooking and meal ingredients including dried pasta, rice and canned goods during lockdown. This corresponds with results from the FSS Covid-19 tracker, which showed that in May 40% of people reported cooking from scratch more often compared to before lockdown.
Under a third (29%) also reported eating healthier meals more often, which aligns with the increased amount of vegetables, purchased during lockdown.
However the Covid-19 tracker showed that in May 44% of people reported they were consuming more cakes, biscuits and savoury snacks more often than before lockdown.
Geoff Ogle, chief executive of Food Standards Scotland, said: “Scotland’s battle with overweight and obesity has been brought into sharp focus by the pandemic, as poor diet is a contributory factor to increased risk of poorer health outcomes from Covid-19.
“The increase in vegetable and home cooking ingredients purchased is encouraging, with people reporting that they were cooking more from scratch. We need both government and industry to build on these encouraging findings.
“As we move through the pandemic, it is essential to assess positive shifts in behaviour so Food Standards Scotland will continue to play its part to ensure people in Scotland have healthier diets.
“We will collaborate with consumers, government, the food and drink industry and other partners to improve diet in Scotland, move towards healthier living, and sustain that improvement going forward.”
The FSS data showed shoppers bought 44% more food and drink from supermarkets in the week before the national lockdown in March 2020, compared to March 2019.