You are what you eat: Ukip voters like it British while Greens prefer it organic

Greens are more likely to eat, well, green and organic, research shows, while Ukip supporters prefer white bread and English cheese – although they do like brussels sprouts. Photograph: Alamy

A Ukip supporter is more likely to opt for British foods, with a preference for English breakfast tea, white bread and English cheese – although they also have a particularly ironic taste for Brussels sprouts.

Labour party supporters also like white bread, as well as being more likely than other shoppers to go for turkey and chillies. Conservatives, meanwhile, show a preference for ground coffee, wheatgerm bread and avocados.

These insights are possible thanks to data released by market research group Kantar from a poll of 6,000 shoppers on its panel. It was able to cross-reference the shopping habits with people’s voting intention.

Conservative supporters spend the most on their groceries – avocados and wheatgerm bread do add up – with a yearly outlay of £4,437 compared with the £3,295 of Labour supporters.

As you might imagine, supporters of the Green party spend the most on organic food, with the £114 per household a year being nearly four times that of Ukip supporters.

Green party supporters spends almost four times as much per year on organic food as Ukip supporters.

The idea that Green party supporters take great care over what they eat is given further credence in the Kantar data.

They are less likely to be overweight or obese than people who vote for any other party, with just 44% of supporters fitting into that category. Labour and the Conservatives nearly tie on this metric, with 55% and 54% respectively.

Sixty-two percent of Ukip supporters are overweight or obese, compared with just 44% of Green party supporters.

Given that Ukip voters are also more likely than the average person to smoke and say they are unconcerned about sugar, it is unsurprising that they are also the most likely to be overweight and obese (62%).

Kantar has provided profiles of the supporters of all the main national parties, listed below:

• Ukip “Old, unhealthy and annoyed that their bills are going up, benefiting from financially stressed switchers from other parties. Not concerned about health but apparently rejecting state intervention – over index for British foods.”
  

• Labour “Seeing their shopping bills going up, greatest percentage change (of major parties) grocery spend since last election, high street shoppers; most concerned by health issues.”
  

• Green “Living the lifestyle; slim and organic-eating, home-delivered, concerned about health issues, the most eclectic shopping basket.”
  

• Conservatives “‘What’s all the fuss about? I’m doing all right.’ Optimistic about the economy – spend £1,000 more a year than the ‘will not vote’ group.”
  

• Non-voters “Really stretched financially, but not looking to the system for any solution, spend the least on grocery. Health apathy.”