But data suggests that certainly hasn’t been the case for everyone...
In fact, 1 in 3 Aussies report they are eating better now compared to two years ago
Which is great news considering that eating a healthy diet is
one of the cornerstones of wellbeing.
Customer Insights online survey, n=2001, Feb 2022
While nearly 50% of us believe the quality of our eating patterns hasn’t been impacted by COVID
And while 30% of us are eating more vegetables, our
shopping basket data shows us we’re only buying around half of the recommended serves of veggies per
person per day.
Customer Insights online survey, n=2001, Feb 2022
But being stuck at home has meant we’ve headed back into the kitchen...
41% of those surveyed reported an increase in instances of
home cooking.
“Working from home - so not having to be up as early and commute - has meant I’ve
had more time at home to cook meals from scratch.” - Survey respondent
And this greater awareness of what we’re eating, has helped us reduce our junk food and alcohol intake.
Customer Insights online survey, n=2001, Feb 2022
Though when we dive into the data of Australia’s shopping baskets, we can see there’s still plenty we can improve on
On average, shopping baskets had two-thirds core foods and one-third discretionary
Core foods include grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy and alternatives, and meat and alternatives. Discretionary foods are our “sometimes” foods.
That’s a concerning statistic
“Let’s reduce the celebrity status we give discretionary foods and raise that of delicious core foods. Think of berries and cherries, nuts, platters with cheese, crunchy wholegrain bread, fresh capsicum, asparagus and cucumber spears…” Simone Austin, Chief Health Officer, healthylife
Meanwhile, households are falling short on the recommended serves of the five core foods groups
Our vegetable intake is the food group that needs the most
improvement.
To eat more veggies challenge yourself to eat an extra handful of veggies per day.
Try snack-sized carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Customer Insights online survey, n=2001, Feb 2022
Per person per day
But it’s not all bad news...
Per-person shopping data shows that most Aussies hit their targets in the meat and alternatives category, while we’re also not far off our recommended fruit servings.
LIVING HEALTHY REPORT 2022
Keen for more?
Did you know plant-based protein purchases have risen by 194% from 2019-2021? For more insights into the way Aussies are eating, plus practical tips and strategies to improve your healthy eating habits, download the full Living Healthy Report now.
Download report
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