A range of foods made with good intentions highlight the Australian state of Victoria as a hub of healthy eating

Public knowledge about how to eat well has exploded in recent years. A decade ago, words like kale, quinoa, spelt, and flaxseed would have been met with a perplexed shrug but today these are popular, everyday foodstuffs that can be found in a variety of products on supermarket shelves and are commonplace items in household cupboards.

People are no longer prepared to settle for mass-produced processed foods and instead want to eat clean and lean food from thoughtful suppliers for improved energy and health reasons, not to mention taste.

The state of Victoria in southwest Australia is one of the world’s food-producing regions that’s been at the forefront of this nutritional revolution. An outdoorsy lifestyle, an active population, and beautiful open spaces – including spectacular beaches – have created a healthy attitude to eating, both in Victoria’s inhabitants and its food manufacturers.

One brand that typifies this healthy-minded approach is Carman’s, proudly Australian made and owned since 1992. With the slogan ‘real food made with real passion’ at the core of everything they do, Carman’s range of granola, muesli, nut bars, protein bars, and porridge aims to bring more whole grains into peoples’ diets. Its boxes of tasty oat slices, for example, are baked, contain no artificial colours or flavours, and are a good source of fibre. Many of Carman’s products are gluten-free and some contain superfoods.

Helping us to snack healthily on the go – a daily struggle for many busy people these days – is Harvest Box, another proudly Australian manufacturer that offers gluten-free packs of roasted or raw nuts with juicy berries to boost energy levels. Protein bars from Keep It Cleaner are all-natural, vegan and full of fibre, ensuring a guilt-free snack option.

Rice cakes are ubiquitous these days and are a fantastic weapon when you come under a snack attack. Made with organic brown, red and black rice, Table of Plenty use an air popping technique in two savoury varieties flavoured with rosemary and sea salt or tomato and sweet basil for a lighter bite. People with a sweet tooth might be keen to try their rice cakes covered in either milk or dark Belgian chocolate or triple berry yoghurt.

Mayver’s produce jars of nut butter packed with good oils that have your health as priority number one. Organic peanuts, no added oil or sugar, and free of gluten, dairy and cholesterol are some of the promises made by Mayver’s, who also make tahini, an increasingly popular creamy paste made from hulled sesame seeds.

For a smarter sandwich, try Mountain Bread’s alternative range of wraps made from ingredients such as spelt, oat, chia, barley and quinoa. Low in calories, these tasty wraps are dairy, yeast and egg-free, and almost fat-free, resulting in a lunch idea that won’t slow you down later in the afternoon.

With a thoughtfully manufactured range like that, it’s no wonder that Victoria has a reputation for healthy eating that benefits not only your body and mind but also your tastebuds.