A fast-growing community-led food co-op is helping Australians spot what's really in their snacks — and shares five easy tips to make better choices
From "veggie crisps" to "natural flavours" and "baked not fried" chips, many of Australia's most popular snacks are marketed as healthier options — but a closer look at the ingredients often tells a different story.
Box Divvy, a food co-op with over 330 community-run Hubs serving 15,000 households across NSW and the ACT, is helping Australians to rethink what counts as a healthy snack — and take a closer look at what's actually in their pantry.
"People are trying to choose healthier snacks, but they're being misled," said Jayne Travers-Drapes, Co-Founder of Box Divvy. "Many would be shocked to learn these products don't contain real vegetables — just ultra-processed pastes reshaped to look like one. It's not food, it's a façade."
It's not the shopper's fault. Supermarket marketing pushes these products hard — and additives are designed to keep you coming back. Over time, our tastebuds — and our guts — are trained to crave more of these foods, not less.
What's hiding in everyday snack foods?
- Flavour enhancers like MSG and yeast extract override hunger cues
- Reconstituted starches mimic real vegetables or potato
- Emulsifiers and thickeners may disrupt gut health
- "Natural flavours" often include synthetic chemicals
- Refined oils, such as palm oil, are cheap but heavily processed
"These additives aren't harmless," Travers-Drapes said. "They're designed to override your hunger cues — so you keep eating without realising it. It's not a lack of willpower — your gut starts to crave the additives, not the food. Over time, some of these substances have also been linked to inflammation, metabolic disruption and even hormonal imbalances. We're not just talking about empty calories — we're talking about ingredients that can interfere with how your body functions."
A better kind of pantry
With over 700 pantry lines and a model built around price and supplier transparency, affordability and knowing about what you eat, Box Divvy helps Australians reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods and feel more confident in their choices. Formed in collaboration with the Western Sydney Diabetes Alliance, Box Divvy curates seasonal produce, quality meat, and pantry items chosen to support healthier eating habits.
"I used to get overwhelmed trying to figure out which snacks were actually healthy," said Leigh Lind, who run a Hubs in Camperdown and Bowral. "I really appreciate that Box Divvy does the thinking for me — they only stock things with real ingredients, and I know whatever's in season is going to be good."
Current healthy snack examples include:
- DJ&A Green Bean Crisps – Made from 75% whole green beans, air-crisped for crunch with no artificial colours or flavours.
- La Tortilleria Corn Chips – Traditional-style chips with just three ingredients: corn, non-GMO canola oil and sea salt.
- Pimp My Snack Super Seed Clusters – Tamari-roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, naturally crunchy and packed with 20% plant protein.
"These are snacks where the ingredients are the product," said Travers-Drapes. "They're simple, nourishing, and made with integrity — not marketing tricks."
Evidence-backed shift toward wholefoods
A 2024 study by Western Sydney University and the University of Wollongong found that Box Divvy members ate 3.3 more serves of vegetables and 2.5 more serves of fruit each week.
"These improvements bring people closer to meeting national dietary guidelines," said Professor Freya MacMillan in the study's public release, "which is key to preventing chronic diseases like diabetes."
Five quick tips to spot ultra-processed snacks:
- Scan the first 3 ingredients: If you see starches, sugars, or oils up top (instead of real foods), it's likely ultra-processed.
- Watch for vague or fake-sounding ingredients: Look out for terms like "vegetable base", "natural flavour", "flavour enhancer", or "reconstituted" — they usually signal processing.
- Look for numbers or codes: Additives often show up as numbers (like 621 for MSG or 471 for emulsifiers) — a giveaway it's been heavily altered.
- Count the ingredients: More than 10? That's a sign of heavy processing — especially if most of them are hard to pronounce or wouldn't be in your pantry.
- Ask: Could I make this at home? If not — or if you'd need a food lab — it's probably not real food.
"You don't have to give up snacks," said Travers-Drapes. "You just need to know what you're eating — and choose something real."
