Monday, 25 February 2019: World renowned chef Jamie Oliver has today launched a new program with Woolworths to help make healthier food choices easier for Australian families.

The Woolworths ‘Healthier Easier’ program, created with long-time Woolworths ambassador Jamie Oliver, will allow customers to access easy swaps, simple nudges, hacks, tips and healthier recipes to inspire and support them to eat well.

The Healthier Easier hub goes live today at woolworths.com.au/healthiereasier, and customers will also see the program come to life as they do their shopping in-store.

The online hub will be updated with clever ideas and tasty recipes to  inspire Australians to increase the amount of healthier food they buy and eat. Customers can be assured that the recipes have been reviewed by a team of Woolworths nutritionists.

Over the past year, 92% of Australians have taken at least one healthy step towards living a healthier lifestyle, with eating more vegetables or fruit, drinking more water, cutting back on high sugar foods and practicing portion control amongst the steps taken.

Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director, Claire Peters said; “Our customers continue to be motivated to eat healthier and want us to make it easier for them and their families to do so.

“Working closely with Jamie we are further showcasing our commitment to help our customers take more steps to eating better using the fresh, healthy and affordable ingredients they can access when shopping with us online or in-store.

Jamie Oliver said; “It’s brilliant to see so many Aussies taking steps towards being healthier. We all need a little helping hand now and then, so I hope these recipes and tips make it even easier for busy people to make delicious, healthier meals at home.

“As part of the program, I’ll be sharing my favourite tricks for eating well, giving beautiful fresh produce some love, and hopefully getting Aussies really excited about new ways to eat more of the good stuff.

“I’ve seen Woolworths set the standards in Australia on so many important initiatives, from food waste, industry reformulation, health star labelling, the brilliant free fruit for kids in store, and the new Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours that students can do in-store. The Healthier Easier program is another brilliant way to highlight great, healthier, tasty food.”

Woolworths and Jamie Oliver have been working together for six years, with a partnership built on shared values around empowering and educating people to make the most of their shopping basket, and build a healthier future.

So far, more than 136,000 kids have participated in the Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours since it launched in 2018 and more than 72 million pieces of free fruit have been given out to kids by Woolworths over the past four years.

Claire Peters added; “We know that healthy food habits start from a young age which is why in addition to the Healthier Easier program, helping educate and inspire Aussie kids to make smart and fresh food choices also remains critical for us.”

The Healthier Easier tips and recipe cards will be available in-store at Woolworths, as well as at point of sale, in the Woolworths catalogue, Fresh magazine, and will also be supported across social media.

The first set of ‘Healthier Easier’ recipes by Jamie Oliver at Woolworths:

·       Veggie Noodle Stir Fry - Healthier Swap: Beat the takeaway and make your own Asian-inspired dish using wholegrain instead of regular noodles. Nuts and eggs are both a source of protein, making this a nutritious, meat-free dish.
 

·       Feta, Zucchini and Spinach Cakes - Healthier Swap: Satisfy that burger craving by stuffing these crispy bulgur wheat cakes, crammed full of green veg and creamy feta, into a wholegrain bun with salad and yoghurt.
 

·       Gnarly Chicken Tikka Kebabs - Healthier Swap: Ditch the takeaway with a flavour-packed chicken tikka kebabs with veg and homemade naan.
 

·       Mighty Mushroom and Kale Frittata - Healthier Swap: Frittatas often have bacon but mushrooms are a healthier alternative that still gives a  gorgeous, meaty texture.
 

·       Vegie Quesadilla Bake - Healthier Swap: Rustle up a super-quick zingy sweetcorn salsa to serve with your quesadilla bake – it’s fresh, adds interesting pops of texture, and is better for you than the usual accompaniments, such as high-fat sour cream.
 

·       Fish Finger Sandwich - Healthier Swap: Try fat-free yoghurt in place of mayo your slaw – it’ll keep that same creamy vibe, but it’s lighter, fresher and better for you. Give it a go!
 

Initiatives Woolworths has introduced to help customers make healthier choices include:

·       Providing clear front of pack labelling - Woolworths displays the Government’s front of pack Health Star Rating across 100% of eligible Woolworths branded foods making it easier for customers to make a healthier decision. This includes over 2300 Woolworths products with stars on pack.
 

·       Improving the nutrition of Woolworths food range -  In the last seven years, Woolworths has improved the nutrition of more than 300 products, resulting in 414 tonnes less salt, 133 tonnes less saturated fat, 267 tonnes less sugar and 13,600 tonnes more whole grains.
 

·       Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours - In an initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation to love their fruit and veg, Woolworths has launched free educational tours in-store and aims to have up to half a million Aussie kids per year partake in the interactive learning experience. Currently, more than 136,000 students across the nation have already gone on the journey.
 

·       Woolworths Free Fruit for Kids - Launched in 2015, this highly successful initiative has given out 72 million pieces of complimentary fruit to kids a year. When you shop at Woolworths with your kids, they are welcome to pick a piece of free fruit to enjoy.
 

·       Woolworths Odd Bunch Range - The Woolworths Odd Bunch range of imperfect fruit and vegetables not only helps customers save money, it also helps our minimise food waste at the farm. This has been a highly successful program, and Woolworths has sold over 100 million kilos of the Odd Bunch range - a testament to the support of customers looking for affordable, but funky looking fruit and vegetables.
 

·       Affordability - Woolworths has dropped the price on over 1000 ‘healthier for you items’ over the last few years. Some new price dropped items includes, Woolworths Family Size Spaghetti Bolognese 1.1kg (WAS $12, now $10), Woolworths range of Muesli 750g (WAS $3.85, NOW $3.50), Macro Organic Yoghurt 1kg (WAS $6, NOW $5.20), Woolworths Cheese Slices 200g (WAS $4.50, NOW $4) and Woolworths Great Start Cereals (WAS $4, NOW $3.20)
 

·       Dedicated space to fresh - To make it easier to choose and eat healthier, Woolworths has also begun increasing space in new and renewed stores for fresh fruit and vegetables and more shelf space allocated to dedicated health aisles.
 

·       Supporting healthy lifestyles via junior sport - Woolworths has a number of partnerships with the highest participating junior sports in Australia including Cricket, Netball and Surfing. Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and Woolworths is supporting kids and their families to lead active lifestyles.