Bringing you the latest nutrition information and food ideas to help boost your health and wellbeing.

New Recipe Videos

Recipe How-Tos and Cooking Workshops

In partnership with Brisbane City Council, we have created a range of new recipe videos that we hope will inspire you to get back in the kitchen to try some new recipes! These recipe videos include four recipe how-tos and two cooking workshops, all of which we hope you enjoy. Copies of these recipes can be downloaded as PDF documents from our website here. Happy cooking!

Note: These videos are funded and supported by Brisbane City Council.

Latest Research

Inside our supermarkets: Assessment of the healthiness of Australian supermarkets

A recent 2020 report assessing the healthiness of Australian supermarkets found that:

• Unhealthy food was present at 90% of staff-assisted checkouts

• Of discounted food and beverages at checkouts, 7.5 times more items were unhealthy than healthy

• Of all end-of-aisles that displayed food and beverages, 80% had at least one type of unhealthy item on display

• Of discounted food and beverages at end-of-aisle displays, 2 times more items were unhealthy than healthy

• The proportion of shelf space allocated to unhealthy food and beverages, compared with healthy items, was 9.7% higher in the most disadvantaged areas (compared with the least disadvantaged areas) for Coles, Woolworths and ALDI stores

Why is this important to consider?​

• It is clear that Australian supermarkets heavily promote unhealthy food and beverages in-store. It is almost impossible to pay for groceries without being exposed to unhealthy food and beverages

• Findings indicate that <7% of Australians consume diets consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and >35% of energy intake comes from discretionary food such as chocolate, confectionary, chips and soft drinks

• As outlined in the report, supermarkets can contribute to the improvement of Australian diets by:

  • Providing healthier checkouts that do not display chocolate, confectionery and soft drinks

  • Replacing unhealthy items with healthy food and beverages or non-food items at end-of-aisle displays

  • Allocating less shelf-space to unhealthy items relative to healthy food and beverages

  • Offering fewer discounts on unhealthy food and beverages and lowering the magnitude of discount on unhealthy items

How can NAQ Nutrition help?

• Check out our fact sheets on reading food labels and choosing healthy snacks to aid in making healthy food and beverage choices while at the supermarket
• If local supermarkets need assistance in regards to improving healthy food and beverage options, NAQ Nutrition can help
• We encourage our subscribers to be aware of the current promotion practices in Australian supermarkets and to reach out if in need of assistance

The authors of this report have also published a great article in The Conversation that breaks down the research that was conducted and discusses the key findings.

Reference: Sacks G, Schultz S, Grigsby-Duffy L, Robinson E, Orellana L, Marshall J, Cameron AJ. Inside our supermarkets: assessment of the healthiness of Australian supermarkets, Australia 2020. Melbourne: Deakin University, 2020.

Recipe Idea

Online Resources

Boost your Healthy

The Boost your Healthy digital hub has been developed by Health and Wellbeing Queensland to provide support, inspiration and ideas to help Queenslanders stay healthy and active during COVID-19.

It features content from a wide range of Health and Wellbeing Queensland Alliance Partners who have played a valuable role in supporting the creation of the site. It also offers a platform for people to showcase how they are staying healthy through #BoostCampQld, and the Big Boost will feature a series of challenges to motivate and encourage people to stay healthy at this difficult time. Find out more below!

Big Boost Challenges

The Billion Steps Challenge

The first Big Boost initiative is The Billion Steps Challenge, which has been developed in partnership with 10,000 Steps and Health and Wellbeing Queensland, and is challenging Queenslanders to walk a billion steps.

Whatever physical activity you do, it's all movement, it's all good for you and if you log it, it will count towards Queensland's goal!

To find out more and to get involved in this great active initiative, click here.

QCWA Cook at Home Challenge

The second Big Boost initiative is the QCWA Cook at Home Challenge. As the weather gets cooler it’s a great time to head into the kitchen and cook up something healthy, warm and comforting. And, if you need any extra encouragement to whip up a tasty, nutritious treat, then we have all the inspiration you need.

In partnership with the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) and Health and Wellbeing Queensland we are proudly supporting this Boost your Healthy initiative offering you the chance to win great prizes, including a KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

Entering is easy. Simply share a photo of a healthy meal, snack or dessert you’ve created on the Boost your Healthy website and you’re in with a chance to win. Along with the grand prize of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and a copy of the QCWA In My Country Kitchen Cookbook, there are also weekly draws of a QCWA prize pack, consisting of an apron, tea towel and cookbook.

There’s a gallery of healthy and simple QCWA Country Kitchens recipes for you to choose from or you can create your own culinary masterpiece. You can enter as many times as you like so the more times you enter, the more chance you have to win!

To find out more and to get involved, visit Boost your Healthy and start sharing.

Events and Training Opportunities

Food Safety Supervisor Course

Through COVID-19 we continue to offer food safety supervisor courses. Our courses include industry specific content and are designed with the needs of our students in mind. Our Food Safety Supervisor course:

• Meets the requirements of nationally recognised training
• Prepares food safety supervisors to supervise and oversee day to day operations and to prevent and recognise food safety hazards
• Early years and aged care courses are specifically designed for those working with vulnerable populations

We continue to offer this course remotely during COVID-19. If you would like to know more about how you can complete the course remotely please email training@naqld.org

Online Training

We have just released new online nutrition training for early years and OSHC educators!

The training covers the nutrition basics that all staff working in the early years sector or OSHC need to be aware of including the Australian Dietary Guidelines, Get Up and Grow Guidelines (for ECEC educators) and nutrition in the National Quality Standard. Our Online nutrition training can help settings meet and exceed their requirements under the National Quality Standard. Click on the links below for more information and to register.

Do you have a question for the Healthy at Home team?

You can email your enquiries to healthyathome@naqld.org

NAQ Nutrition
12/212 Curtin Avenue West
Eagle Farm QLD 4009
Ph: (07) 3257 4393
www.naqld.org