According to a survey by the Department of Health, more than 90 per cent of residents do not eat enough vegetables and 50 per cent do not eat enough fruit.
The Active Life program co-ordinator Katie Shubert said the most common excuse she heard for people eating poorly was a lack of time.
“People often use that as an excuse, but it’s so easy to beat,” she said.
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READ NOW“It’s important to have a plan of attack on a Sunday night to make sure you’ve worked enough good nutrients into your diet.”
Ms Shubert said she tried to encourage participants to be more mindful when doing food shopping and avoid the aisles that host processed and sugary snacks.
“When reading labels, people often just look at the front of the packaging and rely on that rather than looking at the back,” she said. “A lot of food companies are concerned about their marketing so they’ll make sure it appears healthy on the front.
“So we try to encourage people to stay on the perimeter of the supermarket and avoid labels altogether; that way they stick to the fresher stuff.”
While a lot of attendees are new parents focused on learning to cook nutritious but money-savvy meals for their families, a session is also designed for retired residents.
“We have had a session looking at lunch box ideas for parents, but there’s also a senior program that looks at cooking for just one or two people,” Ms Shubert said.
For more information on upcoming nutrition sessions with Foodbank WA and the town of Victoria Park visit www.victoria park.wa.gov.au/community/active-life.