Taste.com.au survey reveals Aussie shoppers favourite aisles
But which one is Australia's favourite?
According to taste.com.au's Dinner Heroes survey, the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle has come out on top, with almost one in five (16 per cent) of Aussies nominating it as their favourite.
Of that, the nation's healthiest eaters (and shoppers) live predominantly in the ACT (20 per cent), followed by Queensland (19 per cent) and WA (17 per cent).
Female participants were also more likely to choose that aisle, sitting at 21 per cent, while only 10 per cent of males share the sentiment.
The survey conducted by News Corp's Growth Intelligence Centre (GIC) also found clear generational differences between aisle choice.
Boomers enjoyed the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle the most, coming in at 24 per cent, closely followed by Gen X at 16 per cent.
Popularity declined in the lower age brackets with only 10 and 11 per cent of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers in agreement.
The second favourite aisle – as voted for by the younger generation at 13 per cent – was confectionary.
Shoppers in the NT had the biggest sweet tooth, with almost a quarter of shoppers declaring their love for the lolly aisle.
Consumer behaviour expert Professor Nitika Garg from the University of New South Wales believes the results are explainable due to two main factors: health issues and discretionary income.
'One is that as people get older they have health issues – they might have been told by the doctors take your vitamins, you need to eat more healthy …,' Professor Garg told news.com.au.
'The second is that we know that Baby Boomers or the older generations right now in the current environment have more discretionary income compared to Millennials and Gen Z.
When asked why fresh fruit and vegetables topped the charts overall, Professor Garg said the current education in place in schools has encouraged a generation of mindful eaters.
'I think this is a hardening development and indicative of the initiatives that Australian schools and the government have put in place,' she said.
'I remember when my kid was in primary school we had to give (them) one box for the snack – which had to be a fresh fruit or something – and then another (for) lunch.
'I think there is that growing awareness and because kids are growing up with that more and parents are more aware, even across different social economic groups,' Prof Garg said.
'Those differences still exist but they are shrinking a little bit.
'My hunch would be you will not see this pattern replicate in let's say a country like the US where there isn't the same push for information in this regard.'
Taste.com.au's Food Director Michelle Southan said there are simple tips shoppers can follow to ensure they can stretch their dollar farther.
'Embracing recipes that use fresh seasonal produce is one way to ensure balanced meals without exceeding your budget but don't overlook the frozen vegetable aisle either – there are some excellent options that can easily add extra nutrients to your dishes,' Ms Southan told news.com.au.
'Having pantry staples like cannellini beans and lentils readily available is also a great way for boosting the nutritional value of your meals.'
Humans aren't the only ones considered in the weekly shopping budget, the survey found, with a third of pet owners feeding their four-legged friends their dinner.
This is more common in younger pet owners – 46 per cent of Gen Z and 43 per cent of Millennials – as opposed to only 28 per cent of Boomers.
Bondi Vet Owner and veterinarian Dr Kate Adams said she was a big supporter of feeding pets leftovers from the dinner plate.
'I think the biggest plus for me, and for everyone, is not wasting food,' she told news.com.au.
'One of the things that breaks my heart … is wasting meat. There's a lot of people in this world who don't have food and I think we shouldn't be wasting what we're given.
'In terms of the health aspect of this … there has been a real turn in the market, in particular pet food, where people are now looking to wholefoods (which) are a lot more anti-inflammatory than what the processed foods are.
'There's been a real push towards overall preventive health, and the main way that we know how to do that is nutrition.'
Dr Adams warned by only feeding our furry friends the same wholefood diets as their owners they can miss out on the balanced diet that animals require.
'Am I pro-dinner feeder? Absolutely,' she said.
'I was taught back in my day when I graduated, I've been a vet for about 20 years, that dry food was the only option for our pets.
'As we know more about nutrition, we know more about the value of food, wholefoods are better than processed foods.
'The only problems that exist here are when pets are not getting a balanced diet, that's when things start to go a bit off the rails.'
Several of Dr Adams' clients present with health issues which she boils down to diet.
'I don't want people to throw that their leftovers away (but) I think they have to be conscious of the fact that their dog can't just live on meat and two different types of vegetables.'
She believes the stark contrast between generations can be attributed to the 'norm' when Boomer pet owners were younger was feeding the dog off the table – and now, after also being a generation of researchers – have found the perfect balance for their furry friends.
Meanwhile, Gen Z and Millennials may be more food waste and cost conscious, Dr Adams theorised.
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