Canadians Eat Over 3 Billion Sandwiches a Year! International Sandwich Day is November 3rd

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2013 /CNW/ - Clubs, subs and paninis - whatever the type, Canadians have an affinity for sandwiches; a national survey by Udi's Healthy Foods has discovered that Canadians eat approximately 3.6 billion sandwiches each year.

Sandwich origins date back to the 18^th century when the 'Earl of Sandwich', an English aristocrat named John Montague, invented the sandwich by ordering meat served between two pieces of bread to keep his hands from getting greasy during uninterrupted card play. Flash forward - sandwiches are now the most packed item in the 21^st century lunchbox.

The survey showed that about twenty-five million Canadians 18+ (97 per cent) eat sandwiches, and about 2.3 million (9 per cent) do so daily.

"Sandwiches are the ultimate convenience food and can be filled with wholesome ingredients to sustain you throughout the day," says Stephanie Clairmont, a culinary dietitian and nutrition coach in the Greater Toronto Area. "The versatility of sandwiches means they can fit a range of diets, and even those adults or kids who are following a gluten-free diet now have lots of choices in breads."

The vast majority of Canadians (79 per cent) say bread is important in their family's diet. Thanks to a growing selection of gluten-free bread options, the more than four million gluten-free Canadians (12 per cent) can take part in International Sandwich Day on November 3 without compromising their health.

Just how often do Canadians tuck into a sandwich? Here's the break-down of Canadian sandwich-eating frequency:

Canadian sandwich-eating habits:

• Every day - 9 per cent
• Men - 11 per cent
• Women - 8 per cent
• Once or more a week - 61 per cent
• Pack sandwiches in their own lunch - 35 per cent
• Pack sandwiches in their children's lunch - 54 per cent

Here's how the sandwich 'stacks up' against other popular lunch items:

TOP 5 ITEMS IN PARENTS' LUNCHES

1. Sandwich (35%)
2. Salad (25%)
3. Cheese and Crackers (12%)
4. Wrap (11%)
5. Rice (8%)

TOP 5 ITEMS IN KIDS' LUNCHES

1. Sandwich (54%)
2. Cheese and crackers (36%)
3. Wraps(21%)
4. Pizza (14%)
5. Salad (13%)

Sandwich recipes:

Here are two quick and delicious sandwiches the whole family can enjoy:

• Udi's Gluten-Free Turkey & Swiss Baked Monte Cristo Sandwich
• Udi's Gluten-Free Veggie Millet-Chia Sandwich

Source: www.UdisGlutenFree.com

About Udi's
Udi's Healthy Foods LLC (Udi's) is a leader in the fast growing market for gluten-free foods in North America. Udi's markets a diversified and growing range of gluten-free products under the well-recognized Udi's Gluten Free Foods brand in the retail market, and since mid-2011, food service channels. Udi's Gluten Free Foods is a leading brand in gluten-free bread and bakery products. In addition, Udi's markets other gluten-free products in the frozen pizza and granola categories.

Survey Methodology
From July 19th to July 22nd 2013 an online survey was conducted among 2,530 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 1.95%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE: Udi's Healthy Foods LLC

Media contact
Katherine Heydon
FleishmanHillard Toronto
[email protected]
416-645-3665