Healthy Eating

Eating a wide variety of healthy food is foundational for good health. Healthy food nourishes our bodies, improves our mood, connects us to others and gives us the energy to do the things we love.

Healthy eating has far-reaching impacts on health and wellbeing and is a vital preventative measure for many chronic diseases. We know that people in our region are not eating enough fruit and vegetables and that people face many barriers and challenges to getting enough healthy food.

What is Healthy Eating?

Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy to live, learn, work and play. (Breast Cancer Org 2020)

Eating a wide variety of healthy foods from all 5 food groups can help you to reduce your risk of disease, including heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013).

See the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating below:

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide up-to-date advice about the amount and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing. The Guidelines are based on the best available scientific evidence about food and nutrition. They apply to all healthy Australians, as well as those with common health conditions. They do not apply to people who need special dietary advice for a medical condition, nor to the frail elderly (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013).

Choosing a variety of nutritious foods, both from the five different groups and within each group, over the week and seasonally increases the likelihood of obtaining sufficient intake of all nutrients. Eating a variety of nutritious foods can protect our bodies from chronic disease and may increase quality of life and longevity (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013).

Local data about healthy eating

The data above on adults are %’s taken from the Victorian Population Health Survey 2017 and 2014.

Tips for getting more healthy food onto your plate without breaking the bank

1. Plan your meals for the week to save yourself time, energy and extra supermarket visits. You can find loads of meal planning tips and templates at LiveLighter
2. Fill half your plate with veggies and fruit of all colours. Tips for eating more fruit and vegetables at LiveLighter
3. Drink more water – it’s free, delicious and great for you!
4. Cook at home as much as possible. No Money, No Time has loads of great resources to help you plan more home-cooked meals if you are short on time and money.