POOR supply and the high cost of fresh fruit and vegetables in country areas makes it hard for many Tasmanians to eat healthy and improve their lifestyles, experts say.

Heart Foundation chief Graeme Lynch said fruit and vegetables in rural areas and some satellite urban areas were too expensive, poor quality or were not available, which meant people turned to takeaway food.

“We live in a state that is so conducive to healthy eating and activities and yet we have the worse health statistics in the country for obesity,’’ Mr Lynch said.

A price and availability survey, Healthy Food Access Basket Tasmania, was launched yesterday by Tasmania Medicare Local, the Heart Foundation and the University of Tasmania as part of a three-year project to identify 12 communities which suffer from poor access to fresh quality vegetables.

“We want to create an environment that will, over time, create a shift in equity to fresh vegetables in those communities,’’ Mr Lynch said.

A new survey shows the cost of vegetables is also an issue for Tasmanian diners, who are unhappy about paying extra at restaurants and want them served with their mains.

Fifty-four per cent of consumers in the AUSVEG survey said they would change their meal choice or be unhappy if they were charged separately for vegetables as sides.

“The days of the vegetable side dish are drawing to an end — Australians now want bigger vegetable servings included across all courses and a larger variety of vegetables on offer,” AUSVEG spokesman Kurt Hermann said.

“People shouldn’t have to dip into their pockets for an extra accompaniment of vegetables.”

But Smolt chef Matt Breen disagrees.

Mr Breen said Tasmanian vegetables were of such superior quality the Salamanca eatery likes to showcase them.

“Tassie vegetables are so good you want to just have them on their own, you don’t want to hide them.’’

An entree size dish of fresh zucchini flowers sold out in two days last week because of its freshness,’’ he said.

“We would never want to disguise something as beautiful as that.’’

Originally published as High cost puts fruit, veg off menu