Get more vegetables on your plate…

One in 14 WA adults meet the recommended daily serve of vegies.

Cancer Council WA has issued a call for Western Australians to eat more fruit and vegetables to coincide with National Nutrition Week. 

National Nutrition Week 2019 (13-19 October) is all about getting our five serves of vegetables each day by embracing food “waste”. 

Barely one in 14 (6.9 per cent) Western Australian adults meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines for recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables (2 fruit & 5 vegetables). 

While more than half of Western Australian adults (50.8 per cent) meet the guidelines for the recommended daily serves of fruit (2 or more serves), only one in 11 WA adults (8.9 per cent) met the guidelines for vegetables (five or more serves). 

Among WA children, three quarters (75.8 per cent) get their recommended daily intake of fruit, but close to only one in 15 (6.8 per cent) met the guidelines for vegetables. 

“Not only is eating enough fruit and vegetables critical for kids’ growth and development, but having those foods be a normal part of every meal helps build healthy habits,” said Cancer Council WA LiveLighter Campaign Consultant Jen Atkins said. 

“The stats tell us that people are pretty good at eating a couple of pieces of fruit every day but could use a bit of a nudge to get more vegies in.“ 

“Eating well not only helps to improve physical and mental performance, but it promotes long term health as well.” 

According to Nutrition Australia, wasted food makes up more one-third of the contents of the average household bin. That’s nearly $4000 worth of food per household per year that can end up in landfill, where it breaks down and emits harmful greenhouse gases. 

Here’s how you can try for five serves of veg a day, while helping to save money and the environment, by embracing your veg ‘waste’: 

• Eat more parts of your vegetables such as skins, stalks and leaves, 

• Use up your ageing vegetables that would otherwise go in the bin, 

• Choose ‘ugly’ and ‘imperfect’ vegetables to prevent them going to landfill. They’re just as nutritious, and often cheaper. 

The Eat Brighter LiveLighter campaign has loads of interesting recipes and tips on how to get more colour onto your plate. Visit www.eatbrighter.com.au to find out more.