Influences in the food systems

Cost

Fresh produce often takes a bigger bite out of the bank account than ultra processed foods. It can be expensive to cook food that's better for our bodies. 

Time 

When you're on the go, finding the time to cook a fresh meal or buy fresh ingredients isn't always possible. It's harder to eat healthier with a demanding schedule.

Housing/Facilities

Depending on your housing situation, you may not always have access to the appropriate facilities needed for cooking healthy meals. Whether it's a communal kitchen or limited space, housing can impact how and when we prepare food.

Neighbourhood design

The design of your neighbourhood can affect the food you eat. In some places, you could have a 5 minute walk to a fresh food market, while in others you might have to drive for 20 minutes.

Geographic location

If you live in a city, regional area or more remote community, your food options will be different. Cost, variety and freshness of food are all determined by where you live

Marketing

Ultra processed foods advertising is everywhere, constantly bombarding us. It can be so sneaky, we may not even realise it when it happens!

Social exclusion 

The impact of colonisation, including dispossession of land and associated traumas, has broken traditional eating practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For communities of multicultural backgrounds, they may feel uncomfortable to cook and enjoy their traditional foods due to fears of discrimination and exclusion

Knowledge

There is so much information out there about what is healthy and this can be confusing. Advice on social media may not always be verified or accurate. Navigating this can be tricky and exhausting.

Caleb

Are you like Caleb? For him and his family, the price of fresh produce is too high. They make the best of what they have but the climbing prices mean they can afford less and less fresh food each month.

Caleb finds frozen meals last longer and are more affordable.

How can we make fresh produce and other healthy foods more affordable?

Leyla 

Meet Leyla, she’s a Uni student working two jobs to make ends meet. Between lectures and work, she usually gets home after 10pm and barely has time to cook. When she can spare a moment, she opts for quick, low-cost, filling foods like instant noodles and sausage rolls.

How can we make healthy options easy even for busy people like Leyla?

Alex 

Alex lives in a sharehouse with a small kitchen. She doesn’t always have access to the facilities needed to cook healthy meals.

How should we build houses and apartments to provide the space Alex needs to prepare meals?

Sourab

Sourab lives in an area with more fast-food outlets than supermarkets. It takes an hour for his family to drive to the nearest market to buy fresh produce.

How could we plan suburbs so Sourab can be in walking or cycling distance to fresh food?

Eden

Eden lives in a remote area with higher food prices. Some items are close to three times the price you would pay in metropolitan regions.

How do we redesign the way food is moved around Australia to better support Eden and others in remote communities?

Trevor

Trevor likes to eat foods he sees on TV and social media. Whether it’s an ad with a catchy jingle or the latest Tiktok recipe trend, he gravitates to what he sees most.

How can we ensure that Trevor is inspired by healthy food Tiktoks and ads, rather than being bombarded with unhealthy food advertising?

Carla

Carla comes from a migrant background. Her family is one of the only multicultural families in their suburb. She takes processed food and snacks to school so she doesn’t stand out.

How do we address systemic racism in communities to ensure they are safe spaces for Carla and others from multicultural backgrounds?

Kora

This is Kora, she wants to eat healthy but doesn’t know how! She finds the supermarket overwhelming and cooking to be quite complex.

How can we create supermarkets that encourage healthier food purchases?