Health ministers from around Australia have agreed to work on a national approach to making fast foods healthier.

The move was pushed by Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas at the Australian Health Ministers Conference in Adelaide today.

He wants the contents of fat, salt and sugar to be regulated in fast foods and says a national approach will help get food outlets on board.

"The very fact that we can do it on a national basis actually does reduce costs," he said.

"We don't want to do things that increase costs unnecessarily.

"That's why you don't want to go out individually and have different rules in different states because they do operate on a national, if not international basis, many of these firms."