Sour taste of things to come as CSIRO research flags dietary danger of skimping on fruit and veg

New research from CSIRO shows that Australians aren’t eating enough fruit and vegetables, and our diets are on a ‘’downward spiral’’.

The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, surveyed more than 275,000 adults over nine years, with that data used to predict where our diets will be by 2030.

And the results are alarming: consumption of ‘’discretionary foods’’, such as ultra-processed products and sugary drinks, will rise, fruit consumption will decline and the consumption of vegetables will stagnate at levels below national targets. So how do we reverse the trend?

“The gap between our current dietary trajectory and our national health targets is widening,” senior CSIRO research scientist Dr Gillie Hendrie said.

“Predictive modelling gives us a powerful early warning system. Rather than waiting to see the impact of poor dietary habits, we can now identify concerning trends and intervene before they become major public health issues.”

Australia’s National Preventive Health Strategy (2021-2030) has set healthy-eating targets as part of its goals to avert chronic illness and improve public health. As part of a healthy diet, adults should aim to eat two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables daily and reduce their consumption of discretionary foods to less than 20 per cent of total energy intake.

Two fruit and five veg is a familiar message, but nutritionist Kate Freeman says changing eating habits is more complicated than a simple ‘’eat more vegetables’’ directive.

“Food and eating is really complex, but we often hear oversimplified messaging from public health campaigns,” she told Region.

“On the one hand, ultra-processed foods are designed to be palatable and convenient. They’re easy to eat but they don’t fill us up so it’s easy to overeat. Whereas whole foods – whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts – require skill in the kitchen and an element of food literacy.”

Ms Freeman suggests that to change eating behaviours to reach the national health targets, we need to increase food education, teach people more about how to cook with whole foods and consider the bigger picture when discussing diets and food.

Local food and farming cooperative Southern Harvest runs a produce box subscription scheme, Bungendore Farmers Market, and a community store in Bungendore. General manager Ruth Gaha-Morris told Region that people becoming more invested in eating fresh food often started with flavour.

“A lot of what is available for most consumers isn’t very fresh because what you get in the supermarket has travelled so far, been picked when it’s underripe and is unappealing and tasteless,” she said.

”I see people at the markets taste a fresh, sun-ripened tomato or strawberry and they’re just blown away by how much flavour there is and then they’re hooked.”

Ms Gaha-Morris said that during COVID-19, many people changed their eating habits when there was less available in supermarkets and they had more time to purchase locally grown produce and prepare meals from scratch at home. They also found that eating locally gave them a social link, and they felt more connected to where their food came from.

But when people were busy and stressed, it was easy for them to fall back on processed snacks, takeaway, and conveniently packaged foods.

“It’s so tempting to grab something quick and convenient … because people don’t think of cooking as simple anymore,” Ms Gaha-Morris said. ”[Many people] have lost the skills of putting ingredients together and using what they have on hand to make something simple and delicious.”

Capital Region Farmers Market manager Sarah Power said she was disappointed to hear about the survey results and suggested a few ways that people could become enthusiastic about fruit and vegetables.

“I highly recommend people check out their local farmers’ market: find different ways to look at fruit and veg and be creative with how you eat it,” she said.

”For example, there were so many different varieties of plums over the summer – some we’d never seen before! – and my family have been guzzling them like lollies!”

Some good news in the report is that young people (18-30) showed some improvements in their diets, although consumption of discretionary foods remained high.

To meet the targets of the National Preventive Health Strategy, we have five years to get diets back on track to avoid negative health outcomes and further stress on the health system.

Read the report in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

* Lucy Ridge also works for Southern Harvest NSW Cooperative.