Most of us grew up disliking vegetables but knowing that they are good for us, with the "5 a day" drilled into us from an early age.
However, the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report has found that fewer than one in 10 Australian adults are eating enough veggies. That includes your parents too!
The research found that men were worse than women at getting their nutrients in, with 96 per cent of men not eating enough greens compared to 87 per cent of women. Which is still not good…
Experts believe there are a lot of factors of modern life that have influenced our almost scurvy-inducing diet such as floods affecting food supply, cost of living, time factors, inability to cook and availability of takeaway and junk food options.
Accredited Sports Dietitian Gaye Rutherford told The ABC that a huge factor is the cooking and prep time of vegetables.
"Vegetables are not as much of a convenience food, if you are on the go or looking for really easy portable options, they don't tend to be the first thing people reach for," she said.
Experts say there are a few quick and hopefully less costly solutions to try and incorporate more veggies, such as
- Frozen fruit and veg - it is typically more cost-effective, and being frozen it will not spoil.
- Canned fruit and vegetables - though not always as nutritious as frozen and fresh vegetables, canned options are again cheaper and have a longer shelf life
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- Meal prepping & batch cooking to save time
- Soups: cooking with beans, peas and potatoes such as chickpea and lentil soup are a good, cheap and nutritious way to get more variety of nutrients into your diet.
