Reality TV star Lucy Mecklenburgh is fronting a new Asda-backed campaign for Jersey Royal potatoes.
Designed to counter new research suggesting that over half of women feel guilty for eating carbohydrates, the photoshoot with Mecklenburgh replicates the iconic images of 1950s film star Marilyn Monroe wearing a potato sack.
New research conducted by Asda found that 69 per cent of people deprive themselves completely of carbohydrates, while Mecklenburgh’s castmates on The Only Way is Essex have claimed to follow the ‘no carbs before Marbs’ (Marbella) mantra.
The study also found that 82 per cent of women have been on a no-carb diet, while 70 per cent of those asked believed consumption of potatoes leads to weight gain.
The new campaign aims to portray Jersey Royals as a “fibre-packed, low GI carb that keep you fuller for longer”. It also highlights the fact that Jersey Royals contain a quarter of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, more fibre than strawberries, courgettes or cornflakes, and contain less fat (at 0.3g) and calories (at 21 calories) than couscous.
Mecklenburgh said: “It’s crazy to think people are cutting carbs out of their diet to try and be healthy. Complex carbohydrates are a sensible part of my diet and help me stay healthy. In fact, I wouldn’t be able to work out and keep in shape without them.
“The key is to opt for low GI carbs. Jersey Royal potatoes are packed with fibre so they keep you fuller for longer. The skin is packed with fibre and vitamins and they provide slow release energy so I can get a good afternoon work out in and feel energised. I either make up a potato salad with a good quality rapeseed oil and spring onion as a healthy snack or roast them with a high protein fish and iron-packed veg like broccoli.”
The Jersey Royal Company’s William Church said: ”Whether you’re getting healthy for a holiday, upping your vitamin C or simply improving your overall diet, we want to put Jersey Royals back on Britain’s plates as the healthiest potato out there.”
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