Spring Into Action: Improving Australia's Diet Score
You might spring clean your house every year, but do you spring clean your fridge? Spoiler alert. You might need to spring into action. According to recent reports, Australia's diet score averages just 55/100 against national guidelines. Australians are fond of discretionary (junk) foods, with each person consuming an average of 28 serves per week. Shockingly, only four out of 10 adults report eating three or more different vegetables at their main meal.
The recent healthy diet score report suggests that our dietary habits might need a fresh start. More than 235,000 Australian adults participated in the online survey, assessing nine areas of diet quality to see how we're tracking. The results revealed that our average diet score has decreased from 56 in 2015 to 53 in 2023.
Women scored better than men on most diet components, with the greatest difference seen in vegetable consumption. To improve our diet scores and overall health, it's time to spring into action with some healthy diet tips. One key tip is to enjoy fewer treats by reducing discretionary foods and being mindful of portion sizes.
Additionally, feasting on fresh flavors can help fill you up with nutritious foods and reduce cravings for sugary and salty treats.
Diversifying your diet by including three or more vegetables in your main meal is crucial for improving your diet score. Try adding veggies to your pasta sauce or opting for protein and three veggies instead of the traditional meat and two sides.
Let's spring into action by making small changes to our diet and prioritizing nutritious, colorful meals. By cutting back on junk food and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our daily meals, we can work towards improving Australia's diet score and overall health.