The Homer Simpson Diet

How to improve the average British person’s daily diet? British fruit and vegetable growers think Homer Simpson may hold the key.

We are not making this up. Eat in Colour — a campaign run by the U.K.’s Fresh Produce Consortium — actually took the time and effort to analyze what The Simpsons eat and drink during a month of shows. (Sounds like a great job to have, doesn’t it?) Their conclusion: Despite the stereotype of Homer with a doughnut (or a beer, or a Krustyburger, or … ), the family’s top snack should be a lesson to viewers.

It is — wait for it — vegetables. Thanks, in part, to baby Maggie frequently chewing on carrot sticks, the family diet actually was 18 percent vegetables — better than average.

Still, they’re not going to win any prizes for healthy eating with their family diet also consisting of 13 percent wine and spirits, 12 percent cakes and cookies, 12 percent beer, 8 percent fast food and 8 percent soda. (If you’re doing the math, that’s over 50 percent empty calories.)

Nutritionist recommendations for the show — and for the U.K. — include eating more fruit (just 1 percent of the Simpson family diet is fruit) and of course, cutting down on alcohol and cakes.

Fiona Hunter, of the British Dietetic Association, told the U.K.’s The Sun: “I’m sure TV influences what some people eat and drink. I think they’re missing an opportunity to put forward some public health messages.”