The Nationals candidate for Gippsland East Gemma Rendell, and Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester, are encouraging Gippslanders to add an extra serve of vegetables to their day as part of the ‘Get the Edge. Eat More Veg’ campaign, officially launched at Lazzaro Bros in Sale this week.
Ms Rendell said the campaign, delivered by Plus One Serve and led by AUSVEG in partnership with the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit and Food & Fibre Gippsland, had a simple but important message: adding just one extra serve of vegetables each day can make a difference.
Mr Chester said the campaign would encourage Gippslanders to make small, practical changes to include more vegetables in everyday meals.
“At the moment, Gippslanders are eating an average of just 1.6 serves of vegetables a day, with only about six per cent reaching the daily recommended five serves,” Mr Chester said.
“The Get the Edge. Eat More Veg campaign is about making it easier for people to add more vegetables to their meals and understand the benefits for energy, focus, mood and gut health.
“Even one extra serve a day can make a difference.”
Vegetable growers are an important part of the Gippsland economy and Ms Rendell urged locals to support the industry.
“There’s no better place to launch this campaign,” Ms Rendell said.
“Our region produces more than 50 different vegetable lines and about 27 per cent of Victoria’s vegetables, making horticulture an important part of our regional economy and a major source of local jobs.
“Backing this campaign is also about backing our local growers and the families who work hard to produce high-quality fresh food for Australian households.”
Mr Chester said the campaign also highlighted the importance of Australia’s agricultural sector, as well as the health benefits of eating the recommended daily serves of vegetables.
“About 98 per cent of the fresh vegetables consumed across the nation are grown here, so eating more vegetables also means backing Australian farmers, supporting local jobs and strengthening regional communities,” Mr Chester said.
“Our growers are producing world-class fresh food, and every time we choose Australian-grown vegetables, we are supporting the people and communities behind that produce.
“Eating the recommended daily serves of vegetables also helps lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers, while supporting healthy digestion and weight management.”
The campaign will appear on billboards, buses, shopping centre screens and community venues across Gippsland.
For more information, visit VegEdge.com.au
