If you look in the average Aussie's shopping trolley you'll find the Australians are eating better and exercising more, or so says Woolworths Group’s digital wellness hub HealthyLife.

The first annual HealthyLife Living Healthy Report analysed 25 million weekly purchases made at Woolworths supermarkets between 2019 and 2021, to shed light on the impact of the pandemic on the nation’s health.

The report focuses on three key pillars; eating well, moving well and feeling well, and found:

• One in three Australians are eating better now, compared with two years ago and believe they are healthier as a result.

• Almost a third of Australians believe they are eating less highly processed food.

• 41 per cent of Australians are cooking more at home than they did two years ago.

“The pandemic has provided a unique circuit breaker and a focus on health we haven't seen before," said HealthyLife's chief health officer Simone Austin. 

"As a result, we have seen a number of positive health improvements. 

“However, while the survey data showed some Australians said they are now eating less highly processed food, our basket data reveals the average shop consists of a third of ‘discretionary’ foods, such as soft drinks, potato chips and ice cream.

“To help customers better understand the types of foods they are purchasing, we recently launched ‘Food Tracker’, in partnership with Woolworths Group. The program shows shoppers the balance of their basket in servings of food, compared to the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommendations.

“Despite the challenging last two years, it's clear as a nation we’ve made many positive changes. But we still have a way to go. Using the report insights, we want to turn talk into action and help make living a healthier life more achievable for everyone.”

Have you been making healthier shopping choices since the pandemic? Is this by choice or necessity?