Are you eating enough vegetables?

You are in the minority if you are, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The bureau’s National Health Survey says only 6.5 per cent of Australians are eating their daily recommended dose of five serves per day, with most eating fewer than two serves and ultra-processed foods taking up more of our diets.

Dietitian and nutritionist Jemma O’Hanlon is worried that our busy lifestyles are contributing to preventable diseases, mostly due to what we are eating.

“Many of us are choosing too many unhealthy foods in our daily diets and it’s really not the individual’s fault,” she said.

“We’re exposed to these unhealthy foods wherever we go, at the supermarket, the petrol station, the convenience store, even school canteens have a lot of unhealthy foods in there.

Bad food habits affecting farmers

The downward trend in vegetable consumption also affects the people who grow it, with many already doing it tough due to economic conditions and other industry pressures.

A recent study by peak horticulture industry body AusVeg found that more than a third of growers were considering leaving the industry in the next 12 months, citing cost increases for fuel, electricity, labour costs and fertiliser, poor retail pricing, and regulatory burdens.

Catherine Velisha, a third-generation vegetable grower in Werribee, on the western outskirts of Melbourne, said although the situation was grim, improved vegetable consumption would help her industry.

“If consumption doesn’t increase, and it’s falling, we’re all looking at our businesses saying we’re growing produce that people don’t really want and with costs of inputs going up, where do we sit in this market?” she said.

Ms Velisha said consumer behaviour had changed.

“That’s obviously filtered down dramatically to us as producers,” she said.

“But the biggest issue is our costs of inputs have gone up dramatically, much more than my grandfather used to pay and those costs of the products we are selling haven’t moved at the same rate, so that discrepancy is putting a lot of pressure on our businesses.”

Staying healthy more affordable

But it’s not just farmers’ bottom lines being affected by Australia’s eating less vegetables — Ms O’Hanlon said the economy was also suffering from the side effects.

“This sort of money could actually be invested [by governments] in putting towards programs and campaigns that promote our health and wellbeing.”

So why aren’t we eating enough vegetables?

Ms O’Hanlon said in addition to the busy lives, there was a perception that eating healthy was too expensive.

“The good news is that veggies are not expensive. They are, in fact, very affordable and I think this a bit of a myth and misconception out there,” she said.

Multiple studies have found that on average, a supermarket shop of foods that meet Australia’s dietary guidelines was 7 per cent cheaper than what’s in the average person’s basket.

Healthy diet, healthy economy

Ms O’Hanlon said one of the most affective ways to help the waistline and the wallet, was to embrace whole foods and eat more vegetables.

“People are looking for cheaper options to make sure they can live and cover all of their expenses,” she said.

“Vegetables are rich in fibre, which nourishes our gut — in essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which protect us and boost our health and wellbeing.”

The Mediterranean diet includes eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, fish and seafood, and minimal processed foods and red meat.

Ms Velisha said there were market opportunities with 94 per cent of the population not eating enough vegetables.

She said the gap in the market would improve if the horticulture sector and government invested in promoting healthy eating.

“How do we get people excited about vegetables again? How do we entice them — not just through health but through enjoyment.

“We’re getting sick, and that’s because we’re not eating the proper diet, and you’ve got growers imploring government to [encourage behaviour change].”