Clare Hughes

Clare is the Nutrition Program Manager for Cancer Council NSW working to promote healthy lifestyles and creating an environment that supports and encourages Australians to make healthy choices to reduce their cancer risk.

Clare and her team of dietitians and nutritionists are responsible for the organisation’s cancer prevention projects relating to obesity, nutrition, physical activity and alcohol. These include the Eat It To Beat It program promoting fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as strategic research and advocacy into food labelling and food marketing to children.

Clare also contributes to Cancer Council Australia’s advocacy on nutrition, food labelling and food policy.

For eight years Clare was the Senior Food Policy Officer at Australia’s leading consumer organisation CHOICE where she was responsible for ensuring the interests of consumers are considered during the food policy and regulatory processes. During this time she led CHOICE’s policy and advocacy projects on issues such as obesity prevention, food labelling, junk food marketing, organic foods, genetic modification and food safety. In 2011 Clare joined Cancer Council NSW.

Clare has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition), Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy.

Surviving the Supermarket

The weekly grocery shop can be a daunting experience. Supermarkets have a huge variety of products available, which can be convenient…but also overwhelming. The sheer volume of processed foods can often make it difficult to make smart, healthy choices. Supermarkets are very clever (and sneaky!) in promoting certain unhealthy food choices. You’ve probably noticed the […]

Get to know legumes

A lot of us have heard of these healthy foods called legumes but aren’t exactly sure what they are. Legumes are plant foods and include: Soybeans, baked beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas and split peas. They’re high in protein, fibre, B-group vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, folate and anti-oxidants. Basically, they are really good […]

Lunch box safety

At Eat It To Beat It we often get questions from concerned parents about food safety in the lunch box- and rightly so. Food poisoning is a very serious issue and as parents, the last thing we want is for our kids to be sick. One of the biggest concerns of parents is salmonella poisoning. […]

Will organic food help reduce your risk of cancer?

You’ve probably noticed that there’s been a lot of hype about the reported health benefits of organic foods. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without using synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. People choose to eat organic for a number of reasons including taste, environmental factors, for their reported health benefits or just personal […]

Are you cancer smart?

A new survey from Cancer Council NSW shows many people are confused about common risk factors for cancer – meaning more education and awareness is needed to help lower cancer rates in the future. More than 3,000 people across New South Wales were surveyed by Council NSW, finding while many people could cite some risk […]

Afternoon tea the healthy way

Many parents find it a struggle to come up with healthy afternoon snacks for their kids. Sometimes it just seems easier to give them a bag of chips or biscuits. While these foods seem convenient, they are seriously lacking in the essential vitamins and minerals that your child needs to stay healthy and thrive. A […]