DISCY FOODS

So what types of foods are contributing the most?

1. It’s no surprise that in Australia, with its strong drinking culture, alcoholic beveragesare sitting in number one spot, contributing 4.8 per cent of all kilojoules consumed.

We all know someone who loves a glass of wine after work to relax, or a beer at the footy (game of football). We celebrate special occasions with drinks, and a BBQ and drinks go hand in hand like summer and thongs. People use alcohol for a wide range of reasons and in different social and cultural contexts, and often this is overlooked as a contributor to our overall energy intake.

2. Second on the list are cakes, muffins, scones and cake-type desserts, contributing 3.4 per cent of our energy intake. Just as the footy and beers go together, Australians love their coffee and what’s a coffee date without cake?
3. Confectionery and cereal/nut/fruit/seed bars were third on the list, most likely because of their convenient nature - wrapped in plastic, consumed with one hand and readily available at the checkouts of supermarkets, milk bars and petrol stations (and often at super cheap prices).
4. Next comes the Aussie meat pies and vanilla slices (with pastries contributing 2.6 per cent).
5. Sweet and savoury biscuits come in at number five most likely due to our cuppa tea and biscuit culture.
6. Interestingly I found soft drinks and flavoured mineral waters only contributed only 1.9 per cent to the overall energy intake, suggesting that the message is getting through at last.
7. Other discretionary foods include potatoes (as chips/fries etc.) 1.7 per cent; snack foods 1.5 per cent; frozen milk products 1.5 per cent; and sugar, honey and syrups 1.3 per cent.