The research, from the Project Harvest study commissioned by Horticulture Innovation Australia to identify Australian attitudes towards vegetable purchases, shows increasing sales of winter favourites like potatoes and pumpkin.

AUSVEG said that it is taking the opportunity to remind all shoppers that adding vegetables to their winter comfort foods can help them with their nutritional needs.

“As we head into winter, it’s great to see that consumers are filling their shopping basket with the types of hearty vegetables that can be used as comfort food while also offering a healthy boost to their diets,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Shaun Lindhe. “Favourites like pumpkin, potato and sweetpotato can be roasted up as a side dish, used in a hearty soup, or used as ingredients in delicious curries.”

“As well as being great for warm winter meals, this kind of consumption pattern has real health benefits. Pumpkin is an excellent source of Vitamin C, which can help people feel far better as we head into the cold and flu season, while broccoli and sweetpotato are high in Vitamin A, which has proven benefits for your vision.”

The Project Harvest study tracks consumer attitudes towards vegetables over time, and has now provided monthly reports to Australian vegetable growers for almost three years, detailing seasonal and other variations and trends in the way shoppers think about their vegetable purchases.

“A vegetable-rich diet is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, and there’s no reason why winter comfort foods can’t also help you look after yourself. Australian producers grow the healthiest, safest vegetables in the world, and this winter, we encourage all Australians to take advantage of the great home-grown produce on offer,” Lindhe said.