Is Australia Eating Better or Worse Than in the Past?

December 11, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2023 CSIRO Healthy Diet Score report, the average Australian diet scored a disappointing 55 out of 100, and this score is on a downward trend. While access to diverse, high-quality food has increased significantly over the decades, national data reveals that Australians are consuming more discretionary foods high in salt, sugar, and fat than ever before. This stark contrast raises a critical question: is Australia eating better or worse than in the past?

Quick Summary

Despite a wider variety of foods available, Australians are consuming more discretionary junk food and fewer vegetables compared to past decades. Convenience, food marketing, and busy lifestyles have contributed to this decline, negatively impacting national health outcomes. Recent studies by the ABS and CSIRO confirm these deteriorating trends in dietary habits and consumption of healthy foods.

Key Points

Dietary Quality Decline: National studies, including CSIRO reports, show Australian diet quality is deteriorating, with average scores falling over the past decade.
Rising Junk Food Consumption: Discretionary foods, high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, now make up over a third of daily energy intake for many Australians.
Falling Fresh Produce Intake: A large majority of Australians fail to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, a trend that has persisted for years.
Convenience Over Nutrition: Modern lifestyles have increased reliance on convenient, pre-prepared meals and takeaway, which are often less nutritious.
Socioeconomic Disparities: Access to healthy food is often linked to socioeconomic status, with lower-income and remote populations facing greater challenges.
Public Health Crisis: The shift toward less healthy eating habits is directly contributing to rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases in Australia.

Australia's Shifting Plate: From Anglo-Celtic Staples to Global Influences

Australia's culinary identity has evolved dramatically over its modern history. The early settler diet was heavily influenced by Anglo-Celtic traditions, centered on meat and basic staples like flour, sugar, and tea. The post-World War II immigration boom brought a wave of new cuisines and ingredients, introducing Australians to Italian, Greek, and later Asian flavors, expanding the national palate significantly. Today, supermarkets are overflowing with global options, a stark contrast to the basic rations of the past. However, this increase in variety has not necessarily led to better nutritional outcomes for the majority of the population.

The Rise of Convenience and Discretionary Foods

One of the most significant shifts has been the proliferation of convenience and processed foods, driven by busier lifestyles and dual-income households. Food manufacturers have capitalized on this, using increased amounts of sugar, salt, and fats to enhance flavor and promote consumption. The result is a diet where discretionary foods—high in energy but low in nutrients—make up a large proportion of daily kilojoule intake. For example, data shows that in 2020–21, 38.1% of the energy available from foods purchased from retailers was from discretionary items.

The Decline in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Despite growing health awareness, Australians' consumption of fresh produce remains alarmingly low. National Health Survey data from 2022–23 indicates that less than 5% of Australian adults consume the recommended daily serves of both fruit and vegetables. This trend has persisted for over a decade, showing little to no improvement. Contributing factors include food deserts in remote areas, affordability, and the ubiquitous advertising of less healthy options.

Comparison of Australian Diet: Past vs. Present

To illustrate the changes, here is a comparison based on available national data and historical context.


Feature	Past (pre-1970s)	Present (2020s)
Dominant Cuisine	Anglo-Celtic; meat-heavy	Multicultural; diverse options
Convenience Foods	Limited; predominantly home-cooked	Widespread; includes ready meals, fast food
Key Food Group Consumption	Less vegetable variety, but generally fewer discretionary foods consumed daily.	Lower fresh fruit and vegetable consumption relative to guidelines.
Discretionary Food Intake	Low to moderate; occasional treats.	High; often exceeds 30% of daily energy intake.
Beverage Consumption	Tea and beer were staples.	Increased consumption of sugary drinks, energy drinks, and bottled water.
Health Impact	Historically different health challenges; lower obesity rates.	High rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related diseases.

The Role of Lifestyle and Socioeconomics

Lifestyle factors play a huge role in the decline of dietary quality. The rise of longer working hours, particularly for frontline workers, has been linked to poorer diets, with occupations like manufacturing showing lower diet scores. For many, convenience trumps nutrition. Additionally, socioeconomic status significantly impacts dietary choices. In 2022–23, adults in the lowest socioeconomic areas were more likely to fail to meet fruit and vegetable recommendations than those in higher-income areas. The higher cost of nutritious, perishable foods in remote and rural regions further exacerbates this issue.

The Health Consequences

The long-term health consequences of a deteriorating diet are evident in Australia's public health statistics. Overweight and obesity rates have soared, with about one in four adults now classified as obese. This is fueling a rise in chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. While functional foods and wellness products are gaining traction among some consumers, they do not counteract the population-wide issue of a diet high in processed foods and lacking in essential nutrients.

Conclusion: A Clear Downward Trend

In conclusion, while the modern Australian diet is far more varied and globally influenced, the evidence points overwhelmingly to a decline in nutritional quality over the past several decades. The increased availability of fresh produce has been overshadowed by the overwhelming consumption of discretionary, high-kilojoule foods. The combination of faster-paced lifestyles, effective marketing of junk food, and socioeconomic disparities in access to healthy options has pushed the national diet score downwards. Australia is not eating better than in the past, and without significant intervention, projections suggest the trend will continue to worsen. This necessitates a greater focus on public health initiatives, food education, and creating environments where the healthy choice is also the easy choice.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For personalized dietary advice, consult a healthcare professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

The CSIRO Healthy Diet Score is a report that assesses Australians' diets based on a range of factors, including the quantity, quality, and variety of foods consumed, scoring them out of 100. Recent reports show a decline in the average score.

Australians are consuming fewer fruits and vegetables due to factors like the increased availability and marketing of discretionary foods, affordability concerns, and busier lifestyles that prioritise convenience over fresh food preparation.

Modern lifestyles, including longer working hours and the need for convenience, have led to a greater reliance on pre-packaged, processed, and takeaway foods. This has resulted in a diet higher in energy-dense, nutrient-poor items.

A poor diet contributes to high rates of obesity and chronic diseases in Australia, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake is a key risk factor for these conditions.

Yes, traditional Anglo-Celtic food habits dominated early Australia, but have been replaced by a multicultural food landscape. The modern diet includes a greater variety of international cuisines, though this has coincided with an increase in processed foods.

Yes, socioeconomic status plays a significant role. Studies show that people in lower socioeconomic areas are more likely to have poorer diets and not meet recommended fruit and vegetable intake guidelines compared to those in higher-income areas.

Without significant intervention, research suggests the Australian diet will continue to decline, with consumption of discretionary foods projected to increase and fruit intake to drop further by 2030.

Discretionary foods are high in saturated fat, added sugars, added salt, or alcohol. Examples include chips, cakes, sugary drinks, pastries, and processed meats, which are not necessary for a balanced diet.