Naturally Nutritious (HN15001)
What was it all about?
The Naturally Nutritious project, which ran from 2016 until 2021, investigated the health benefits of a range of fruit, vegetables, and nuts to inform the development of innovative appealing products that are nutrient-dense, can be differentiated in the marketplace, and are visually attractive and flavoursome.
This study opened the way toward more personalised healthy food choices amongst horticultural products based on individual characteristics. The project team made several recommendations for targeted investigations, research and development particular to specific crop sectors and varieties.
The project capitalised on the knowledge that fruits, vegetables and nuts are good for you, and explored the possibilities of further enhancing their health benefits through increasing nutrient density. A wide range of fruit, vegetables, and nuts presently exist, and within each of these, numerous varieties are present with a huge diversity in nutrient content. Some of these nutrients are linked to the colour of the fruit or vegetable, while others are less obvious. The project documented a range of specific nutrients and determined the possibility to further enhance levels through targeted breeding programs.
The Naturally Nutritious project also investigated which fruit, vegetables and nuts make people eat less by making them feel full, and those that maintain a full feeling for longer. It also explored how these different products affect human gut bacteria.
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Read these articles about the work undertaken by this project:
- $10m research project seeks 'superfoods' to keep us healthy, UQ News, 23 November 2016
- Search for new superfoods given $10m boost, Brisbane Times and Sydney Morning Herald, 27 November 2016
- Nutrient-rich ‘superfoods’ to drive Qld agriculture, Queensland Country Life, 23 November 2016
- New high folate strawberry a sweet find, Hort Innovation website, 26 September 2017
- New Folate strawberry a sweet find for researchers, Fresh Plaza website, 26 September 2017
- Superfoods on menu: Scientists work on ‘Frankenstein foods’ to keep Queenslanders healthy, Courier Mail (Qld), 15 December 2017
- Purple corn set for taste test, Sunraysia Daily, 2 January 2018
- Orange capsicums on the menu for long-term eye health, Hort-daily website, 1 December 2020.
Watch this Hort Frontiers video from Hort Innovation that profiles the project:
ISBN:
978-0-7341-4716-5
Funding statement:
This project was funded through the Hort Frontiers, Health, Nutrition & Food Safety Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the University of Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland (DAF), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Nutrafruit Pvt Ltd and contributions from the Australian Government.
Copyright:
Copyright © Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited 2021. The Final Research Report (in part or as a whole) cannot be reproduced, published, communicated or adapted without the prior written consent of Hort Innovation, except as may be permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).