Food News, with Christine Rutter

WHO said women don't like football?

One out of every four ladies will be spending more time tuning into the World Cup football feast than slaving in the kitchen, according to new research.

And sales of convenience foods are set to soar after research revealed nearly half of UK women will be watching the action from across the Channel.

The research contradicts the notion that all women are dreading the onslaught of over 160 hours of live TV football coverage over 33 days. Geest Prepared Foods commissioned NOP to interview 1,000 people after sales of fresh prepared meals increased during Euro '96.

They discovered that a quarter of the women questioned said they will be sacking the cooking, so they can spend more time watching the coverage.

A third of the women watching the Word Cup would be catching one or more matches a day.

Tim Sutton, marketing director of Geest Prepared foods, said "These will be increasing their purchase of fresh prepared foods.

"Matches will mainly be kicking off around meal times so people won't want to be spending this time in the kitchen."

Michaela Greenhalgh, personnel manager at Morrisons, Blackburn, a member of the store's women's football team, is giving home cooking a red card. She said: "I will watch every England game I can. It will be hard to fit meal times around them. Anything which can be microwaved will be eaten. I won't buy anything which takes over three minutes to make."

Jim Toohey, manager of Morrisons, Blackburn, said: "Most people watch the World Cup and the amount of take-away meals we sell just goes through the roof. Things such as pizzas are really popular."

Mrs Penny Mortimer, customer service manager at Asda, Blackburn, said the store are preparing for an onslaught of fast food buyers during the World Cup and have already increased stocks by 10 per cent.

She added: "Women buy convenience foods so that they can watch the game. The situation will worsen if England progress."

Ada Gibson, of Grange Street, Clayton le Moors, shuns convenience foods believing in 'honest, home-made grub" but you won't catch the pensioner slaving over a hot stove during the World Cup action.

"I absolutely love the World Cup. All my meals will be prepared well in advance and eaten on knees in front of the box."

Community dietician for East Lancashire NHS Trust Alison Scarborough warned fans of the danger of snacking during the wall-to-wall matches.

She said: "If people just eat take-aways and don't get any fresh fruit and vegetables they will start to feel lethargic and run down." She added: "Vegetables take time to prepare but fresh fruit is a handy snack as is fruit juice drinks."

Her tips for takeaways:

CHINESE: Select prawn or vegetable noodle-based dishes. Avoid sweet and sour, fried rice and fatty meats such as duck."

GREEK: Grilled kebabs with salad is a healthy snack.

INDIAN: Probably the worst take-away you can have - very high in fat. Try vegetable or lentil curry and have boiled rice or nan bread instead of pilau rice.

FISH AND CHIPS: Opt for a chip butty and mushy peas or half portions of fish and chips with more peas and a teacake.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.