Australian dietary guidelines
Nutrition contributes significantly to healthy weight, quality of life and wellbeing, resistance to infection, and protection against chronic disease and premature death. Healthy eating promotes physical growth and cognitive development during childhood. Children are nutritionally vulnerable and their nutrient and energy requirements per kilo of bodyweight are greater than adults. There is a relationship between nutrition in childhood and adolescence and the development of diseases in adulthood.
In 2013, the National Health and Medical Research Council updated the Australian dietary recommendations; these are fully described in the Australian Dietary Guidelines: Educator Guide 2013. Data for the whole time series has been updated according to these guidelines.
Serve sizes for food groups
| Recommended serve size | |
| Vegetables and legumes/beans |
½ cup cooked green or brassica or cruciferous vegetables or ½ cup cooked orange vegetables or 1 cup raw green leafy vegetables or 1 small potato or equivalent of sweet potato, taro, sweet corn or cassava or ½ cup cooked dried or canned beans, chickpeas or lentils |
| Fruit |
1 piece of medium-sized fruit or 2 pieces of small fruit or 1 cup diced, cooked or canned fruit or ½ cup 100% fruit juice (only to be used occasionally as a substitute for other foods in the group) or 30g dried fruit (only to be used occasionally as a substitute for other foods in the group) |
| Grain (cereal) foods |
1 slice of bread or ½ medium roll or flat bread (about 40g) or ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles or ½ cup cooked porridge or polenta or 2/3 cup breakfast cereal flakes (30g) or ¼ cup muesli (30g) or 3 crispbreads or 1 crumpet (60g) or 1 small English muffin or scone (35g)½ cup cooked barley, buckwheat, semolina, cornmeal, quinoa or ¼ cup flour |
| Lean meat |
65g cooked lean meats e.g. beef or lamb or pork or venison or kangaroo or ½ cup of lean mince or 2 small chops or 2 slices of roast meat (about 90–100g raw weight) or 80g cooked poultry e.g. turkey or chicken (about 100g raw weight) or 100g cooked fish fillet (about 115g raw weight) or 1 small can of fish (no added salt, not in brine) or 2 large eggs (120g) or 1 cup (150g) cooked beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas or canned beans (preferably with no added salt) – legumes/beans can be eaten in larger amounts if used as a part of the meats group or 170g tofu or 30g nuts or seeds or nut/seed paste |
| Dairy |
1 cup milk – fresh, UHT long life, reconstituted dried or calcium enriched soy drink or ½ cup evaporated unsweetened milk or ¾ cup or 1 small carton yoghurt or 40g (2 slices or 4x3x2cm piece) hard cheese e.g. cheddar or 120g ricotta |
| Unsaturated spreads and oils |
10g monounsaturated or polyunsaturated spread 7g monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oil, for example olive, canola or sunflower oil 10g tree nuts or peanuts or nut pastes/butters |
Recommended number of serves
| Age (years) | Vegetables and legumes/beans | Fruit | Grain (cereal) foods* | Lean meat** | Dairy*** | Unsaturated spreads and oils**** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | 2-3 | 2.5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 4-8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 4 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 9-11 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1 | |
| 12-13 | 5.5 | 2 | 6 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | |
| 14-18 | 5.5 | 2 | 7 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2 | |
| Men | 19-50 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2.5 | 4 |
| 51-70 | 5.5 | 2 | 6 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4 | |
| 70+ | 5 | 2 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2 | |
| Girls | 2-3 | 2.5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 4-8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | |
| 9-11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 12-13 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | |
| 14-18 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2 | |
| Women | 19-50 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 |
| 51-70 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 70+ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| Pregnant | up to 18 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2 |
| 19-50 | 5 | 2 | 8.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2 | |
| Breastfeeding | up to 18 | 5.5 | 2 | 9 | 2.5 | 4 | 2 |
| 19-50 | 7.5 | 2 | 9 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 |
*mostly wholegrain and/or high fibre cereal varieties
**including poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
***including milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat
****includes nuts or seeds
References
National Health and Medical Research Council (2013). Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council. Available at https://eatforhealth.govcms.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf