At a time when population shares are talked about on a daily basis, a worrying statistic has surfaced that has nothing to do with vaccinations.
Only 7 percent of adults and 5 percent of children eat the recommended servings of vegetables every day.
That figure has gotten to by Nutrition Australia as it encourages Australians to increase their vegetable consumption as part of National Nutrition Week this week.
Some of Australia’s leading vegetable growers and organizations such as Velisha Farms, Perfection Fresh, Butler Market Gardens, WA Potatoes and Sanitarium Health Food Company have partnered with Nutrition Australia and other health-oriented organizations to encourage all Australians to “have more vegetables” in their lives ” by Trying for 5.
Growers will also get involved by doing some virtual farm tours to show consumers where their vegetables come from.
Try for 5 is an annual campaign that celebrates vegetables and the important role they play in health and wellbeing.
Part of the advance was the development of a recipe center with a collection of more than 100 new pioneering vegetable recipes from well-known culinary identities, recipe developers and vegetable growers.
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Lucinda Hancock, chief executive officer of Nutrition Australia, said vegetables are at the heart of a healthy diet.
“They can protect us from chronic health conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease and obesity,” said Hancock.
“We know that, but we still don’t eat enough. Try for 5 is not about getting people to eat more vegetables.
“It just doesn’t work. It’s about inspiring Australians on a day-to-day basis to think about vegetables in a different way.”
SUPPORT: Catherine Velisha, Velisha Farms, Werribee, Victoria is one of the farmers supporting National Nutrition Week and also running a virtual farm tour.
She said the past 18 months had highlighted the importance of a vegetable diet for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and improving mood.
Ausveg this week also urges Australian consumers to find creative ways to include more vegetables in their daily diet to support local producers.
Brassica breeder and Try-for-5 sponsor Catherine Velisha, Werribee, Victoria said the breeders care so much about their farms and the vegetables in the soil.
PACKAGED: A Pak Choy Slaw Salad is just one of Nutrition Australia’s many recipes aimed at increasing vegetable consumption.
“Breeders like me need to encourage people to eat our products and share that passion,” she said.
The strategies funded include:
- Adding an extra handful of vegetables to meals;
- Try a new recipe – eat only vegetables once a week;
- Clever snacking with vegetables.
Nutrition Australia’s social media platforms feature live cooking sessions with vegetable ambassadors and growers, daily recipes, questions and answers from nutritionists and a cook-it-shoot-it-share-it competition.
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The Story It’s time to step up the vegetable content, says Nutrition Australia, which first appeared on Good Fruit & Vegetables.
