1. Background
An ideal solution will:
- Maximise nutrition - based on guidelines.
- Maximise sustainability - based on broader food chain issues.
- Reduce cost.
- Reduce food preparation time.
- Prevent unhealthy food habits
- Educate about nutrition.
Belgium's inverted food pyramid
It is unclear what diet is the best, but there are some general guidelines from the World Health Organisation (1):
- Eat at least 5 servings and variety of fruit/veg a day.
- Consume under to 50g sugar and 2g salt.
For Australia, serving recommendations vary by age and gender (2). There are 5 core food groups:
- Vegetables and legumes.
- Fruits.
- Grain.
- Lean meat, eggs, nuts, beans.
- Dairy.
There may be some controversy around large food corporations influencing dietary guidelines.
The recommended nutritional intake for Australians for different ages can be found at eatforhealth.gov.au (3).
Unfortunately, food nutrition will decrease over time, depending on treatment and storage method (4). Generally water soluble vitamins (folate, thiamine, C) decrease with food storage and processing. Thus heat, light or oxygen contribute to nutrient loss.
Least nutrient loss:
- Freezing.
- High pressure processing without heat (eg: cold press).
Some nutrient loss:
- Fertilisers - reduce vitamin C.
- Dehydration - reduce vitamin C, concentrate others.
- Storing at room temperature.
- Canning - usually involves heat.
Most nutrient loss:
- Boiling and draining - nutrient leak into water.
- Peeling - most nutrients are close to skin.
- Milling - fibre and vitamin Bs are lost.
Mitigation:
- Freeze food in airtight containers.
- Wash and scrub vegetables instead.
- Microwave, steam, roast or grill instead of boiling.
- Reuse soups.
- Use fresh ingredients if possible (gardening/local)
- Cook food quickly.
Australians households waste over 2.5 million tonnes of food yearly, roughly 100 kg per person yearly (5). Approximately 92% end up in landfill, where methane greenhouse gas is generated.
Waste reduction methods:
- Composting
- Reusing leftovers
- Store food smartly and keep track of expiry
- Planning meals
- Grow perishable herbs
Generally what is good for your health is also good for the environment (6). In this case, heavily plant-based diets are more sustainable, followed by animal byproducts.
Sustainability double food pyramid
Average monthly grocery across Australian states range from $613 - $685 as of 2022 (7). Bills appear to increase with household income. Cost per person for household sizes:
- $446.
- $309.
- $254.
- $218.
Ways to reduce grocery cost:
- Budget with shopping list.
- Track best before and re-use food to reduce waste.
- Go to the supermarket.
- Buy bulk, buy discounts
The most effective way to reducing prep time is batch cooking multiple meals (8). This technique originated from industrial kitchens and restaurants. Daily 30 min meals can be replaced with weekly batches in less than 2 hours. People who meal prep are likely to increase nutritional intake and food variety too.
Here are some tips to get started:
- Plan meals and schedule prep.
- Mix in season and frozen vegetables.
- Don't browse, treat shopping as a race against time.
- Organise pantry.
- Use compartment containers (microwave and dishwasher safe).
- Label, label, label! (prep date).
- Stock on dry food, spices and oil
- Meal skipping (9)
- Snacking
- Eating too quickly (10)
- Not eating enough (11)
- Too many meals away from home
- Eating on the run
- Giant portions
A 405 participant survey and 40 interviews in Sydney 2013 revealed that Australians incorrectly perceive higher energy as healthier (12).
It is possible that people may understand nutrition differently depending on religion and culture (13). It ignores allergies like lactose intolerance in many Indigenous Australians (14). Also fails to recognise other sources of nutrients such as fish bones.