Despite 75 per cent of Australians having access to vegetables, only less than seven per cent of us meet our daily vegetable intake requirements.

Australian consumers broadly understand that including vegetables in their weekly eating habits will be beneficial for their health, but there are so many fad diets and mixed messages on social media that makes it difficult for them to make the correct dietary choices.

The vegetable industry (through a strategic levy investment by Hort Innovation) funds an information portal called Veggycation, which aims to increase awareness about the goodness of more than 80 vegetables: nutritional information, optimum cooking methods, preparation and storage. The Veggycation website has been relaunched to include information around health claims already approved by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, postharvest storage advice and handling, and waste reduction techniques.

This online resource is a highly educational and easy-to-use interactive tool that gives educators and health professionals, accurate and detailed information about the health benefits of vegetables to encourage increased consumption.

It also arms growers and the wider industry with information to educate and increase awareness of the benefits for consumers’ who incorporate more vegetables into their diets. This will not only support their overall health and wellbeing, it will also help improve vision, speed up metabolism and keep the mind active, resulting in more positive health outcomes for Australian consumers.

To access the Veggycation online tool, please visit veggycation.com.au.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 16 April 2019. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!