Buying fresh Australian vegetables is a long-term and cost-effective investment in your health. Whether they’re being used as the star of a meal, as a tasty side dish, or as a cheap and nutritious between-meal snack, there’s a huge pay-off to every vegetable purchase.

It’s recommended that the average Australian adult eats at least five serves of vegetables a day as part of a balanced diet. If they do, they’ll receive a huge range of nutritional benefits that can contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

The fact is that at the moment, around 96 per cent of Australian adults and around 99 per cent of Australian children don’t meet the recommended daily intake of vegetables. So why is this happening?

Value for money is often cited as a barrier for fresh vegetable purchases, but consumer purchasing trends have reinforced time and time again that shoppers can support their health as well as their hip pocket by filling their shopping baskets with fresh, in-season Australian vegetables.

The actual dollar amount paid per kilogram is a key area to consider.

Under the Australian dietary guidelines, a serving of carrots is about 75 grams on average – and with a pre-packed bag of carrots currently sitting at $1.30 per kilo, shoppers can buy over 13 serves of veggies and still get change from a $2 coin.

In turn, this means that eating a serve of carrots as a cool, crisp snack on a spring or summer afternoon will set you back a grand total of 10 cents.

By mixing these staple veggies with other in-season produce items and food groups, it’s easy to make delicious, healthy meals that have minimal cost per serving.

At a time when consumers are interrogating their receipts to see where their grocery budget is going, it’s also crucial to communicate the different role that vegetables play compared to more discretionary food purchases.

Vegetables are a vital part of a balanced diet. Any discussion about grocery prices that includes core food groups needs to consider the massive role they play in keeping Australians happy and healthy.

The Australian Government recommends vegetables should make up at least a third of meals – and even then, they’re not going to take up a third of your food budget.

By communicating the key messages about the place veggies have on consumers’ plates, the food industry can help Australians take advantage of the quick wins and long-term benefits of a vegetable-rich diet.

Reducing the conversation to dollar signs ignores the true value of eating fresh, in-season Australian vegetables.

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• Healthy eating trends are costing Australians big bucks
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