The food of Australia’s past is not what one would call balanced. Australian cuisine in the earlier days was primarily made up of hot chips, meat pies, and vegemite sandwiches. Although this food tastes good it is not good for the heart or for the hips. These fattier foods have not totally disappeared but are making a transformation to a healthier type of food.

Australian food is evolving from fried foods high in fat to menus of seafood and salads. This evolution is due to two factors: the abundance and variety of Australian produce, including seafood and native food, which are taking over menus everywhere, and the integration of inernational cuisine introduced by immigrants throughout Australian history.

Restaurants all over the country are attempting to present their customers with a healthier variety of food. Even fast food chains are making a change in their menus in order to offer a healthier alternative to burgers and chips. They are doing this by bringing in foods such as salads and raw vegetables.

Not only are Australians eating better, but they are also raising awareness on this issue. The Australian guide to healthy eating is a good example of this. This is a contemporary guide that reflects the multicultural nature of the population here in Australia. It is used for nutrition education and an informational tool. The guide itself is the result of the food and nutrition policy, which started in 1992. This policy began with the objective to help Australians develop skills and knowledge of healthier eating. To obtain more information on the Australian guide to healthy eating go to: http://www.health.gov.au/pubhlth/strateg/food/guide/

In addition, many citywide and statewide programs exist which are fighting against obesity in this country. One such wellness program, Hip n’ Healthy, focuses on childhood obesity. The group, Diabetes in Australia, started the program with hopes to reduce obesity, to furthermore reduce diabetes. This program is trying to do this by promoting healthier eating habits and fun exercise activities for kids. They also work to increase parent awareness of unhealthy lifestyles their children lead, and encourage parents to be healthy role models.

Australian cuisine has made a huge transition over the years and is moving in a forward direction toward healthier eating. People are becoming more aware and changing their daily eating habits.