RESIDENTS are being encouraged to add another serve of vegetables to their meals as Wyndham council aims to reduce the city’s obesity rates.
The council’s Give Peas a Chance campaign aims to provide residents with ways to add more vegetables to their daily diet, amid revelations that more than half of Wyndham adults don’t eat enough fresh vegetables.
The state government’s 2012 Victorian Population Health Survey revealed 57 per cent of men and 52 per cent of women in Wyndham did not eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day.
The vegetable consumption rate for children aged between four and 12 was also below the state average.
Give Peas a Chance is one of many campaigns being funded as part of a state government push to reduce obesity and illness in 14 municipalities through its five-year Healthy Communities initiative.
Councillor Adele Hegedich (pictured with daughter Antoinette) will launch Give Peas a Chance at the Point Cook Community Learning Centre this Saturday at 11am.
“Children learn their eating habits from their parents and meals packed with vegetables give children all-important vitamins and minerals to help them learn, grow, play and sleep,” Cr Hegedich said. As part of the campaign, a pop-up kitchen will appear at locations in Point Cook, providing healthy snacks and cooking tips.
