NUTRITION

• 94% of Australian kids are not eating the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables
• Ave. 50% of 18-24 year-old Australians are classified as overweight or obese, and 80% of 65 yr+ adults (National Obesity Strategy: 2022-2032)
• Health eating supports optimal growth and development, behaviour, emotional regulation, protects from illness and enables successful learning
• Diet-related health issues lead to cardiovascular diseases; the number one cause of death in the western world.

WASTE

• The average school lunchbox contains 4-6x disposable soft plastic wrappers
• Australians dispose of about 2.7 million tonnes of plastic each year
• Australians are increasingly turning to ‘take-away’ or eat-out meals (estimated at 30% of total household food budget)
• Approximately 30% of total waste in Australia is food waste, with an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food, across the supply chain, wasted each year, (including ‘5 million sandwiches and 3 million pieces of fruit‘. Oz Harvest)
• Food waste costs the economy over $36 billion each year (Sustainable Development, March 2024)
• The Australian government aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

Why are we eating so poorly?

Because processed foods are convenient, tasty, moreish, beautifully wrapped, have a long shelf-life, QUICKER to prepare, and are often cheaper than fresher foods.
The Tuck Box Initiative team is convinced that there is another way..