About FOODcents
What is FOODcents?
FOODcents is an education program that helps families to achieve a healthy diet and to save money on their grocery shop. The program is based on a simple concept. To have a healthy diet, people should spend most of their food money on the ‘eat most’ foods and spend least on the ‘eat least’ foods. The ‘eat most’ foods are often the cheapest, so using this spending model means more nutritious foods will be purchased and money will be saved.
History of FOODcents
FOODcents was originally developed by Ruth Foley in Albany, Western Australia, in 1992, as part of a pilot project addressing nutrition issues in low income groups in a regional centre in WA. The pilot project was developed by the Department of Health with support from Healthway and was implemented statewide by the Department of Health in 1995.
The Department of Health continues to support the FOODcents program by funding the Cancer Council WA and Diabetes WA to coordinate the FOODcents program in Western Australia. Additionally, the Department of Health funds Foodbank WA and The Australian Red Cross to deliver the FOODcents program and to train FOODcents Advisors.
FOODcents aims to teach people how to get value for money and achieve a balanced diet.
Ordering FOODcents Resources
If you are in Western Australia and would like to order the FOODcents resources at no cost can do by completing an order form. Please note, these are for WA residents only. Click the publication title to download the PDF. Please note these are large files and may take a few minutes to download.
Current publications:
- FOODcents Shop Smart
- FOODcents Eat Smart for four
- FOODcents Eat Smart for two
- FOODcents Takeaway Recipe Booklet
- FOODcents and LiveLighter Back to Basics Recipe Booklet
Queensland
FOODcents advisors in Queensland can order FOODcents publications from the Queensland Health Publications Unit on (07) 3234 1053. These versions may differ from the WA versions.
- Shop smart
- Eat smart
- Eat smart for kids