Background: Consuming a greater quantity of vegetables in the diet can improve nutrient intake, assist with weight management, and reduce environmental impact. Current vegetable intake levels in Australia are woeful, despite general public awareness of the key role of vegetables in a healthy diet. Beyond fresh produce, one way to improve intake could be to increase the vegetable content of packaged foods. The aim of this study was to identify factors that need to be addressed to achieve meaningful increases in per capita vegetable consumption in Australia, including via packaged foods.
Method: 12 online focus groups were conducted with 112 Australian adults residing in metropolitan and regional areas. Participants discussed criteria used when selecting foods, food purchasing behaviours, and views on the current availability of information on the vegetable content of packaged foods.
Results: Vegetable content was not raised as a criterion for food selection. Many discussed intentionally purchasing fresh vegetables, but few considered packaged foods to be a source of vegetables in their diets. Vegetables were spontaneously mentioned as being important for health, but not for weight management nor environmental sustainability. Price was seen to be a substantial deterrent, and imported produce was typically viewed as undesirable while local sources were viewed very positively. It was commonly noted that home delivery services could not be trusted to select and deliver quality fresh produce. Support was expressed for the provision of information about the vegetable content of packaged foods.
Conclusion: A comprehensive approach to address very low compliance with vegetable intake guidance in Australia that incorporates consideration of packaged foods could include the following factors: cost (actual and perceived), source (local vs imported), access (in-store shopping vs home delivery), and knowledge deficits (e.g., in relation to weight management, environmental sustainability, and how to assess the vegetable content of packaged foods).