AUSSIES don't like eating at the table, which is possibly because we're embarrassed by the state of our kitchens.
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That was just one of the findings in the second annual IKEA Life at Home report.
The report analysed global living and eating habits and looked at how Sydneysiders lived in and around the kitchen compared to eight other major cities around the world.
It found that one in five Australians would feel uncomfortable if a friend looked in their kitchen (more than any other capital city), saying their kitchens were: messy and untidy (32 per cent), dirty and needing a clean (27 per cent) or small and crowded (22 per cent).
But while we may be embarrassed by the state of our kitchens, we do pride ourselves on the quality of food we eat, with 59 per cent of Sydneysiders planning to buy food that was: sustainably sourced or organic (50 per cent) or locally produced (74 per cent) as often as possible.
More than half (59 per cent) were keen to grow herbs, plants, flowers and vegetables.
Being a nation of foodies also has some consequences, with many guilty of being wasteful when it comes to food.
The study found 24 per cent of respondents admitted buying food only to discover they already had it in the fridge, while 26 per cent said they often found food that had gone off and had to be thrown away.
While more than half of the respondents said their family always ate together when they were a child; the kitchen and dining room had now become a place for any and every home activity - but not necessarily eating.
Instead, only a third of Sydneysiders ate at the table every day, instead choosing to eat in bed (13 per cent), alfresco (12 per cent), and even in the bathroom (4 per cent).
There were even two out of five people who said they never ate dinner in the kitchen during the week.
■ Does this sound like your eating habits or do the results of the survey surprise you?
