Muscling out the Brussel: How Gen Z killed the humble vegetable

Brussels sprouts aren't too popular with the younger generation. Photo / Getty Images

Looks like this staple vegetable won't be on the menu this Christmas.

If you grew up eating Brussels sprouts boiled to within an inch of their lives as a kid, chances are you've developed a strong aversion to the controversial vegetable.

And research has shown that Gen Z in particular have made their dislike of the unpopular vegetable official - it's now fallen off the Christmas menu.

Despite Brussels sprouts being one of the most popular veggie dishes for older generations, now one in four people between the ages of 18 and 24 say they hate them - according to new research from UK supermarket Tesco shared with the Daily Mail.

The vegetable's popularity seems to wane each generation, with those aged 75 and over its biggest advocate - 65 per cent of them love Brussels sprouts.

But just 26 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds still like them. There's actually been an 11 per cent rise in 18 to 34-year-olds claiming to "hate sprouts" year on year.

And there's also been a significant 9 per cent drop in those claiming to love sprouts within that age group - this means that for the first time, more people in that age range hate sprouts than love them.

Brussels sprouts are likely to be off the menu this Christmas. Photo / Getty Images

It's not just the unpopular vegetable sides that they're ditching - young adults aren't after the classic roasts as much as they are the picture-perfect meal to share on Instagram.

Instead, the Zoomers are opting for trendy brunches for Christmas eats.

Popular tactics to ensure the food looks good for the gram this year includes serving food on platters instead of dinner plates and using flowers and festive plants as decorations.

The classic Christmas pudding is also on the way out, dropping in popularity with young adults 16 per cent since 2020.

The supermarket says chocolate desserts are now the most likely dish to be served up on Christmas Day in years to come.