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Save<\/p>\nThe problem with our diets isn\u2019t a lack of protein, even though it\u2019s being flogged everywhere you look. Here\u2019s what we\u2019re really missing.<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n Your shopping trolley might be filled with fresh produce, healthy whole grains, lean meats, dairy and legumes, but celebrity chef Jamie Oliver says there\u2019s still one crucial thing missing: variety. <\/p>\n Following the release of his new cookbook, Eat Yourself Healthy,<\/a> Oliver is urging Australians to shake up their shopping list. \u201cWe\u2019ve got in the habit of buying the same things every week,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at your shopping basket last week, a month ago, a year ago, the problem is \u2013 it\u2019s nearly always exactly the same. We\u2019re not very good at variation.\u201d<\/p>\n A diverse diet is one of the foundations of good health. \u201cWe work with some of the best experts in neuroscience, sleep and gut microbiome, and they\u2019re all saying the same thing: your body wants variation. Please give it variation.\u201d <\/p>\n The adage \u201ceat the rainbow\u201d is good advice, Oliver says. \u201cMix up the apples. Get a red one, then a green, then a different variety, then a pear.\u201d<\/p>\n The idea contrasts with popular diet advice being pushed online \u2013 where a single ingredient or food group is marketed as a magic bullet to weight loss and health. <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re being upsold protein left, right and centre. Your average Australian and Brit \u2013 we\u2019re not having too little protein. We\u2019re being flogged more of what we don\u2019t need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018The uberisation of food, the apps, the gamification \u2013 this is a huge, growing business.\u2019<\/p>\n Jamie Oliver<\/p>\n Oliver also wants people to get back to cooking at home instead of relying on takeaway and pre-made convenience meals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not cooking enough,\u201d he says. \u201cThe uberisation of food, the apps, the gamification \u2013 this is a huge, growing business.\u201d<\/p>\n He acknowledges that people are busy, but warns of the dangers of putting convenience first. <\/p>\n \u201cI admit people are working hard. I admit that when they get home, they\u2019re knackered, and simple, convenient options are important. Convenience always wins above price. It always wins above nutrition. Convenience is powerful, and the industry knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n Data from e-commerce software platform Lightspeed shows that Australians now order takeaway once every five days \u2013 a number that\u2019s rising, with orders up 34 per cent year-over-year.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nearly always surprisingly expensive. It\u2019s not nearly as fast as you think. It\u2019s nearly always unhealthy. Even when people have it, as exciting as it is, there\u2019s this weird guilt complex. It doesn\u2019t sit great. It\u2019s generally super high in salt, fat, sugar, and it\u2019s not the best ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver admits his family never orders takeaway. \u201cWhy? Because I can do them quicker and better myself. I\u2019m just being honest. If I want a burger, I\u2019ll make one.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t got anything against my kid going via a drive-through on the way back from rugby if it\u2019s what they really want and it makes them happy. But the truth is, I can knock it out quicker, better, cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n Oliver isn\u2019t opposed to food boxes that send out fresh ingredients and require cooking, but he does have a problem with the waste they produce, and says they rarely taste as good as they say they do. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen they\u2019re shouting and screaming about how good the product is, it\u2019s often not,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not really convinced, but I think any way of teaching the next generation of Aussies to cook and feel empowered is a positive thing because it\u2019s not happening at home like it used to.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re after convenience, frozen food<\/a> can be a good solution, he says. \u201cThey\u2019re amazing for giving you flexibility in a plan B or C. I think parents and modern-day people need a plan B and C. And also if you want to go out for dinner one night, and you don\u2019t want stuff in the fridge going to waste \u2013 frozen [food] has got a lot to offer.\u201d <\/p>\n Ultimately, when it comes to building a healthy, varied diet, there\u2019s no substitute for home cooking. That\u2019s the message behind his new cookbook Eat Yourself Healthy, the 30th book in Jamie Oliver\u2019s collection and his first dedicated to long-term health. <\/p>\n The release comes shortly after Oliver\u2019s 50th birthday, a milestone that prompted some reflection. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m 50 years old. I still feel like a 25-year-old, and I look in the mirror in shock,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been on a rollercoaster for 25 years, so I\u2019ve been thinking about what I could have done better \u2013 and how I can start getting it right. That\u2019s the foundation of this book: how can I get it right more of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Eat Yourself Healthy features 120 recipes, focused on simple, nutritious meals with an emphasis on variety and flexibility. <\/p>\n The book opens with \u201cprinciple recipes\u201d that come with five or 10 variations, all designed to be adaptable. \u201cI don\u2019t want Aussies just to follow my recipes \u2013 I want them to own them. Then go forth with it being their recipe. That idea of cutting and pasting different ingredients, I feel, is really powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n For best results, sub in an ingredient that you\u2019ve never had before. <\/p>\n Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph \u00a9 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2025 Eat Yourself Healthy).<\/p>\n Related Article The best recipes from Australia’s leading chefs straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign up<\/a>Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Variety](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ace4f1668301fb13fe06da16119bca6e4d275a2a.jpeg\")
Variety is the key to a healthy diet, Jamie Oliver says. Paul Stuart<\/p>\n![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/7938d959bbd68a926d63301bdcb38ea4719640f3.jpeg\")
Jamie Oliver with his new cookbook, Eat Yourself Healthy. Richard Clatworthy<\/p>\n![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1a4b2fed7e266272f986815eb4f9b2909b8c1068.jpeg\")
Jamie Oliver has just published his first cookbook dedicated to long-term health. David Loftus<\/p>\n![\"Frozen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/554d03a5dc10c097eb9218292b8e6ecfc118dac2.jpeg\")
Frozen vegetables and fish offer convenience, as well as nutritional benefits. iStock <\/p>\n![\"Meatballs.\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758744549_809_aa95a5d4dda7f89fa0622ac01da5525ac75e1511.jpeg\")
<\/a>Related Article![\"Frozen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/a22e45405a847c8e5f5daef310da0505a96755e5.jpeg\")
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