Food is heavily involved in our daily routines, but how much do you really know about it? Not much thinks Lake House’s Alla Wolf-Tasker, who believes that most modern Aussies are lacking when it comes to food literacy as she told the crowd at the recent Global Food Forum. “It’s a thing that we put into our bodies and our kid’s bodies, and yet we know less about it than the petrol we put into our fancy cars. We need to change our priorities and our knowledge. Don’t lose that edge!”

But it’s a crisis that’s easily remedied, she says, by following three simple guidelines.

1. Learn how to cook
   It seems obvious, but Alla believes that learning to cook has been placed on the back burner of priorities thanks to modern careers, but it is a skill that is fundamental to good health (as well as the tastebuds). “We’ve lost that learning we once had thanks to sophisticated careers. We need to teach the kids how to cook because there is dollar for dollar there is more value in buying food from the market if you know how to use it,” she says.

2. Stick to the seasons
   Buying seasonally is underrated says Alla. Not only does it help to keep costs down when it comes to the weekly shop, but support local producers, and ensure that you are eating foods in their nutritional prime. “We have forgotten what is in season and what isn’t. Why are we rushing to buy food out of season?” she questions. 

3. Know where your food comes from
   The connection between paddock to table is important for supporting local producers and sustainability. But it is also an easy way to explore different ingredients and cooking techniques. “My customers like to know that we know where the food is coming from. They want to know what someone is producing something different, particularly when it is interesting. We [have] plenty of amazing new producers that is right up there with the best of anything in the world,” says Alla.