Healthy eating

 
Healthy eating is important to:
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Provide your body with all the nutrients it requires for health and well-being.
  • Keep blood glucose levels at a healthy level.
  • Keep cholesterol levels at a healthy level.
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure.

 

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) recommends choosing a wide variety of foods from within the five different food groups to achieve a healthy diet1. The AGHE guidelines are based on the latest scientific research. These guidelines advise Australians to consume more1:
  • Vegetables, legumes and beans.
  • Fruit.
  • Wholegrain cereals.
  • Reduced-fat milk, yoghurt  and cheese.
  • Fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds.
  • Red meat (females only).

 

It is also recommended reducing consumption of1:

  • Full-fat dairy products.
  • Food and drink high in saturated fat, added sugar, added salt or alcohol e.g. cakes, biscuits, confectionery, sugary drinks, fried foods, most meals from take-away outlets.
  • Refined cereals.
  • Starchy vegetables.
  • Red meat (adult males only).

 

It is also important to drink plenty of water and be physically active1!

 

Five food groups

To meet nutritional requirements for health and wellbeing it is important to eat a variety of foods from each of the five food groups.
  • Fruits.
  • Vegetables, legumes and beans.
  • Grains.
  • Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives.
  • Lean meat and alternatives.
     


 
Fruits
 
Fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fibre, and low in energy (kilojoules). There are a range of fruits that you can include in a healthy diet including:
  • Stone fruit (e.g. apricots, cherries, plums).
  • Citrus fruits (e.g. oranges, mandarins).
  • Pome fruits (e.g. apples and pears).
  • Tropical fruits (e.g. bananas, melons and mangoes).
  • Grapes.
  • Passionfruit.

 

 

When choosing fruits, try to include a variety of different coloured fruits in your diet. Different coloured fruits each contain a range of different nutrients, so consuming a ‘rainbow’ of different fruits can optimise your health. Choosing fruits that are in season can assist to improve variability of intake but also improve the quality of the fruit, and fruit that is in season is typically cheaper than fruit that is not in season.

 

How much fruit should we be having each day?

For men and women (including pregnant and breastfeeding) aged 19 years and over the recommended intake of fruit per day is 2 serves. Canned and frozen fruits are a suitable choice, especially in rural and remote areas where fresh fruit can be hard to access. Just make sure there is no added sugar or syrup.

 

What is a serve of fruit?
 
  • 1 medium banana, apple, orange or pear.
  • 2 small apricots, kiwi fruit or plums.
  • 1 cup diced or canned fruit (no added sugar).
Or occasionally
  • 1½ tablespoons (30g) dried fruit*
  • ½ cup (125ml) fruit juice (no added sugar)**

 

 

*Dried fruit is high in energy (kilojoules) and can lead to weight gain, especially when it is easy to over consume dried fruit. Dried fruit can also easily stick to teeth and lead to dental decay. 

**Fruit juice can be high in energy (kilojoules) and therefore contribute to weight gain. Fruit juice is also low in fibre, and eating whole fruit is a healthier choice as it contains more fibre and nutrients. The acidity of fruit juice can contribute to poor dental health.

Learn more about fruit at Go for 2 and 5!


 

Vegetables, legumes and beans

Vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fibre, and low in energy (kilojoules). There are a range of vegetables, legumes and beans that you can include in a healthy diet including:
  • Sweet potato, potato, pumpkin, carrots, beetroot, bamboo shoots, swede, taro, cassava, turnip, onion
  • Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, lettuce, spinach, silver beet, snow peas, kale
  • Cucumber, celery, zucchini, squash, eggplant, green beans, tomato, avocado, capsicum, mushroom
  • Red kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas, soybeans, lima beans, cannellini beans
 
 
Similar to fruits, when choosing vegetables, try to include a variety of different coloured vegetables in your diet. Different coloured vegetables each contain a range of different nutrients, so consuming a ‘rainbow’ of different vegetables can optimise your health. Choosing vegetables that are in season can assist to improve variability of intake but also improve the quality of the vegetables, and vegetables that is in season is typically cheaper than vegetables that is not in season.
 
Starchy vegetables (Potato, sweet potato, sweet corn, taro, cassava) are high in energy, which can lead to weight gain and therefore should make-up only a part of your vegetable intake. Mix-up your vegetables intake with starchy and non-starchy vegetables.
Potato consumed in the form of hot chips or crisps is not considered as a serve of vegetables. Hot chips and crisps can be high in salt and fat and hence are considered as a discretionary food.
 

How many vegetables should we be having each day?

Serves per day
  19-50 years 51-70 years 71+ years
Men 6 5.5 5
Women 5 5 5
 -Pregnant 5    
 -Lactating 7.5    

 

What is a serve of vegetable/beans/legumes?

  • ½ cup cooked green or orange vegetables.
  • ½ cup dried or canned beans, peas or lentils (no added salt).
  • 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
  • ½ medium starchy vegetable (potato, sweet potato, taro, cassava).
  • ½ cup sweet corn.
  • 1 medium tomato.

 

Learn more about vegetables at Go for 2 and 5 Vegie Facts, and learn about legumes via the Grain & Legumes Nutrition Council.


 
Grains
Grains are a good source of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants including folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin (B-vitamins). Whole grains are also a source of iron and zinc which is important for people following a vegetarian diet. The zinc and iron is removed during grain processing, hence vegetarians should choose whole grains over refined grains.
 
Wheat, oats, rye, rice, barley, millet, corn and quinoa are typically used to make grain foods such as breads and cereals. The grains can be consumed raw, cooked, included breakfast cereals or milled to flour to use in food production e.g. making of bread and pasta.
 
There are a range of grain foods that can be included in a healthy diet.
  • Bread (wholegrain, wholemeal, rye, white, fruit, naan, lavish).
  • Focaccia, crisp bread, damper.
  • English muffin, crumpet, Rice cakes.
  • Breakfast cereals, oats, porridge, muesli.
  • Rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous.
  • Flour, bulgur, barley.
  • Corn, polenta, spelt, millet, rye.
  • Quinoa, semolina, triticale, sorghum, buckwheat, popcorn.

 

How many grains should we be having each day?

Serves per day
  19-50 years 51-70 years 71+ years
Men 6 6 4.5
Women 6 4 3
 -Pregnant 8.5    
 -Lactating 9    

 

What is a serve of grains?
  • 1 slice of bread (~40g).
  • ½ bread roll (~40g).
  • ½ cup (75-120g) cooked rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, quinoa, barley, buckwheat.
  • ½ cup (120g) cooked porridge.
  • ⅔ cup (30g) wheat cereal flakes.
  • ¼ cup (30g) muesli.
  • 1 crumpet.
  • 1 small English muffin or scone.

Choose wholegrain and high fibre options where available e.g. multigrain bread.

 

Learn more about grains from the Grain and Legume Nutrition Council.


 

Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, tofu, and seeds
 
Meat and alternatives are a good source of protein, iodine, zinc and vitamins.
This food group includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes.
 
How much meat and alternatives should we be having each day?
 
Serves per day
  19-50 years 51-70 years 71+ years
Men 3 2.5 2.5
Women 2.5 2 2
 -Pregnant 3.5    
 -Lactating 2.5    

What is a serve of meat and alternatives?

  • 65g cooked lean red meat (approx. 90-100g raw).
  • 100g cooked fish fillet (approx. 115g raw) or one small can of fish.
  • 80g cooked lean poultry (approx. 100g raw).
  • 2 large eggs.
  • 1 cup cooked or canned legumes/beans.
  • 170g tofu.
  • 30g nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter.
*Red meat is especially important during infancy, puberty for girls, pregnant and menstruating women, and endurance athletes.
**Iron and zinc in animal-based foods is better absorbed by the body, compared to plant-based foods. Vitamin C can help increase absorption of iron from plant-based foods.
***If following a vegetarian diet, keep in mind Vitamin B12 is only found in animal-based products; therefore vitamin B12 should be supplemented if following a plant-based diet.
****Processed meats including ham, salami and bacon are high in salt and saturated fat and are considered discretionary foods that should be consumed only sometimes and in small amounts.
 

 

Reduced fat dairy and their alternatives

Reduced fat dairy and their alternatives are good sources of calcium, protein, iodine, zinc and vitamins A, D and B12. Reduced fat dairy and their alternatives are recommended for people two years and over, as full-fat dairy and alternatives can be high in saturated fat and energy (kilojoules). Reduced-fat dairy and alternatives can include:

  • Milk (.e.g. reduced-fat, skim, full-fat whole milk, flavoured milk, long-life milk, powdered milk, evaporated milk, calcium-fortified soy drinks).
  • Yoghurt (.e.g. reduced-fat yoghurt, full-cream yoghurt, plain yoghurt, flavoured yoghurt, calcium-fortified soy yoghurt).
  • Cheese (.e.g. reduced-fat and full-fat hard cheeses including cheddar, red Leicester, Gloucester, Edam, Gouda, calcium-fortified soy cheese).

 

How much reduced fat dairy and their alternatives should we be having each day?

Serves per day
  19-50 years 51-70 years 71+ years
Men 2.5 2.5 3.5
Women 2.5 4 4
 -Pregnant 2.5    
 -Lactating 2.5    

 

What is a serve of reduced fat dairy and their alternatives?

  • 1 cup of milk (fresh, UHT, powdered milk, reduced-fat buttermilk) (250ml).
  • ½ cup evaporated milk (120ml).
  • 2 slices hard cheese (e.g. cheddar) (40g).
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese (120g).
  • ¾ cup yoghurt (200g tub).
  • 1 cup calcium-fortified (100mg added calcium/100ml) soy or rice milk, or cereal drink.

 

 

*Alternative calcium sources include

  • ½ cup almonds with skin (100g).
  • 5 sardines (canned in water) (60g).
  • ½ cup Australian salmon with bones or canned pink salmon (100g).
  • 100g tofu (check nutrition information panel for calcium content).

 


 

Need help combining all this advice into everyday meals? See the Eat for Health sample meal plans.
  • For women - This includes a sample meal plan for women aged 19-50 years of an average height, healthy weight and light physical activity level. This can provide some healthy meal ideas!
  • For men– This includes a sample meal plan for men aged 19-50 years of an average height, healthy weight and light physical activity level. This can provide some healthy meal ideas!
Make sure to look at the Eat for Health calculators.
  • Designed by the Eat for Health program to provide the latest evidence-based scientific information. Based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating principles these calculators assist you to determine your daily energy (kilojoules) and nutrient requirements, and what food serves you need to achieve your requirements.

Are you getting enough fruit and vegetables into you each day? Check using the Go for 2&5 Healthy Eating Quiz!

Do you think healthy eating is expensive? Think again. Click here for tips on eating healthy on a budget!

For more information please visit

 


 

References

  1. National Health and Medical Research Council; and Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Government 2013, Australian Dietary Guidelines, viewed 13 March 2013, http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/
  2. Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute 2012, Making healthy meals, viewed 31 May