July 31, 2025
With summer in full swing we asked Canadians to build their ideal BBQ plate by choosing their favourite protein, salad, and dessert.
No surprise here, Canadians love hamburgers on the grill, with four in ten picking burgers as their go-to protein option. Chicken comes in second, chosen by one-quarter of Canadians, followed by ribs with 16 percent. Interestingly, veggie burgers are a more popular choice than either sausages or hot dogs, although overall fewer Canadians opt for any of these three.
Newfoundland residents seem to be keeping a BBQ secret, as they are more likely than any other region in Canada to say their ideal protein is something different. We wonder what it could be!
When it comes to salad, green salad and potato salad are top picks, with approximately four in ten each saying one of these are their ideal salad. Brocolli salad is less popular overall, though it is more favored in the Atlantic region compared to the rest of Canada. However, this added love for brocolli salad may come at the expense of green salads, since green salad is less popular in the Atlantic provinces compared to elsewhere. Across generations, Gen Zers seem to be the least likely to eat their vegetables, as they are most likely to opt out of salad entirely.
And thinking about desserts, Canadians are most likely to choose ice cream, with four in ten selecting it as their ideal BBQ dessers. This is followed by about two in ten each who prefer healthier options like watermelon slices or fruit salad, while only 15 percent opt for brownies. Interestingly, men are more likely to choose ice cream, while women tend to prefer watermelon as their ideal dessert. Across provinces, Quebec residents are more likely to choose brownies, whereas Newfoundland residents are once again more likely to choose other types of dessert. Brownies appear to have a younger fan base, while Boomers tend to prefer fruit salad.
These results show that the perfect BBQ plate for Canadians is a hamburger, green salad, and ice cream. That sounds good to us!
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between July 9th and 10th, 2025 with 1,230 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned, research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
The questions asked were:
- What dishes would make up the ideal barbeque plate for you? (Please select one item from each column).
| Proteins | Salads | Dessert |
| Hamburger | Potato Salad | Watermelon Slice |
| Veggie Burger | Green Salad | Ice Cream |
| Chicken | Broccoli Salad | Brownie |
| Ribs | Another type of salad (Specify: ) | Fruit Salad |
| Hot Dog | No salad for me, thanks! | Another type of dessert (Specify:) |
| Veggie Dog | No dessert for me, thanks! | |
| Sausage | ||
| Something else (specify: ) | ||
| No protein for me, thanks! |
