Kiwi men looking for love might want to try a new approach at the supermarket after research shows that nearly nine out of 10 women judge a man's suitability as a partner on the contents of his shopping trolley.
It's out with the lager and instant soup and in with
new potatoes and red wine according to the UK survey which reveals women take about 10 seconds to assess a man's income and ability to provide for a family by the contents of his shopping trolley.
Top of the list are red wine (95%) and new potatoes (93%) as the key items that women associate with a man who has a good job.
Potatoes New Zealand Food Consultant and Writer Glenda Gourley says women are also obviously looking for a man who lives a healthy lifestyle and can look after himself.
"New potatoes taste so good and are easy to cook so it's not a surprise that they are at the top of the list. I would be very interested to see if New Zealand women feel the same way, and we may look to conduct our own research in the near future."
"Bananas used to be the food you popped in your trolley to signal you were looking for a partner but potatoes and red wine are now it."
New potatoes, which are in full season now, are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and contain more potassium than bananas.
To clarify any confusion about what defines a new potato, Glenda recommends looking out for "a young potato which has skin so soft that you can flick it off with your finger".
Fresh fruit and vegetables in general were also viewed positively by women, with apples and cucumbers topping the list of items associated with a man who would make a good father.
However, 86% of women surveyed thought instant soup showed that a man was lazy and 80% that he had a poor job and salary.
The potato industry is looking to repeat this research in New Zealand to verify that new potatoes impress the Kiwi fairer sex as much as their British counterparts.
