{"id":201,"date":"2025-10-16T16:31:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/?page_id=201"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:31:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:31:39","slug":"body-wellness","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/body-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"Body &#038; Wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">The Australian dietary guidelines-<\/h2>\n<p>The Australian dietary guidelines give advice on eating for health and wellbeing. They\u2019re called dietary guidelines because it\u2019s your usual diet that influences your health. Based on the latest scientific evidence, they describe the best approach to eating for a long and healthy life.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the Australian dietary guidelines?<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0have information about the types and amounts of foods, food groups and dietary patterns that aim to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>promote health and wellbeing;<\/li>\n<li>reduce the risk of diet-related conditions, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity; and<\/li>\n<li>reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0are for use by health professionals, policy makers, educators, food manufacturers, food retailers and researchers, so they can find ways to help Australians eat healthy diets.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0apply to all healthy Australians, as well as those with common health conditions such as being overweight. They do not apply to people who need special dietary advice for a medical condition, or to the frail elderly.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\">View the\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0and companion resources here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Australian guide to healthy eating?<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-guide-healthy-eating\"><em>Australian guide to healthy eating<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is a food selection guide which visually represents the proportion of the five food groups recommended for consumption each day.<\/p>\n<h2>Why do we need dietary guidelines?<\/h2>\n<p>A healthy diet improves quality of life and wellbeing, and protects against chronic diseases. For infants and children, good nutrition is essential for normal growth.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, diet-related chronic diseases are currently a major cause of death and disability among Australians.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure that Australians can make healthy food choices, we need dietary advice that is based on the best scientific evidence on food and health. The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines\u00a0<\/em>and the\u00a0<em>Australian guide to healthy eating<\/em>\u00a0have been developed using the latest evidence and expert opinion. These guidelines will therefore help in the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases, and will improve the health and wellbeing of the Australian community.<\/p>\n<h2>How do I make healthy food choices?<\/h2>\n<p>There are many things that affect food choices, for example, personal preferences, cultural backgrounds or philosophical choices such as vegetarian dietary patterns. NHMRC has taken this into consideration in developing practical and realistic advice. Keeping the\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0in mind will help your choice of healthy foods.<\/p>\n<p>There are many ways for you to have a diet that promotes health and the\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0provide many options in their recommendations. The advice focuses on dietary patterns that promote health and wellbeing rather than recommending that you eat \u2013 or completely avoid \u2013 specific foods.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the health problems due to poor diet in Australia stem from excessive intake of foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, added sugars and\/or added salt but relatively low in nutrients. These include fried and fatty take-away foods, baked products like pastries, cakes and biscuits, savoury snacks like chips, and sugar-sweetened drinks. If these foods are consumed regularly they can increase the risk of excessive weight gain and other diet-related conditions and diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Many diet-related health problems in Australia are also associated with inadequate intake of nutrient-dense foods, including vegetables, legumes\/beans, fruit and wholegrain cereals. A wide variety of these nutritious foods should be consumed every day to promote health and wellbeing and help protect against chronic disease.<\/p>\n<h2>Do the Australian dietary guidelines recommend that I only eat certain foods?<\/h2>\n<p>No. The<em>\u00a0Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Australian guide to healthy eating<\/em>\u00a0and consumer resources assist by helping you to choose foods for a healthy diet. They also provide advice on how many serves of these food groups you need to consume everyday depending upon your age, gender, body size and physical activity levels.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Evidence suggests Australians need to eat more:<\/strong><\/h6>\n<ul>\n<li>vegetables and legumes\/beans<\/li>\n<li>fruits<\/li>\n<li>wholegrain cereals<\/li>\n<li>reduced fat milk, yoghurt, cheese<\/li>\n<li>fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, legumes\/beans (including soy), and nuts and seeds.<\/li>\n<li>red meat (young females only)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6><strong>Evidence suggests Australians need to eat less:<\/strong><\/h6>\n<ul>\n<li>starchy vegetables (i.e. there is a need to include a wider variety of different types and colours of vegetables)<\/li>\n<li>refined cereals<\/li>\n<li>high and medium fat dairy foods<\/li>\n<li>red meats (adult males only)<\/li>\n<li>food and drinks high in saturated fat, added sugar, added salt, or alcohol (e.g. fried foods, most take-away foods from quick service restaurants, cakes and biscuits, chocolate and confectionery, sweetened drinks).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How have the Australian dietary guidelines changed since the last edition?<\/h2>\n<p>Key messages in the guidelines are similar to the 2003 version, but the revised\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0have been updated with recent scientific evidence about health outcomes. To make the information easier to understand and use, the revised guidelines are based on foods and food groups, rather than nutrients as in the 2003 edition.<\/p>\n<p>The evidence base has strengthened for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The association between the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks and the risk of excessive weight gain in both children and adults<\/li>\n<li>The health benefits of breastfeeding<\/li>\n<li>The association between the consumption of milk and decreased risk of heart disease and some cancers<\/li>\n<li>The association between the consumption of fruit and decreased risk of heart disease<\/li>\n<li>The association between the consumption of non-starchy vegetables and decreased risk of some cancers<\/li>\n<li>The association between the consumption of wholegrain cereals and decreased risk of heart disease and excessive weight gain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Brochures, posters and more&#8230;<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0(the guidelines) provide up-to-date advice about the amount and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing. The recommendations are based on scientific evidence, developed after looking at good quality research.<\/p>\n<p>By following the dietary patterns recommended in the guidelines, we will get enough of the nutrients essential for good health and also help reduce our risk of chronic health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity.<\/p>\n<h2>How to order\u00a0Australian dietary guidelines\u00a0publications<\/h2>\n<p>The following products are available in print form, at no cost, via National Mailing and Marketing. To place an order:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Review the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/online_ordering_catalogue0920.pdf\">online ordering catalogue<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Take note of the reference code attached to each product.<\/li>\n<li>Contact National Mailing and Marketing on\u00a0<a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"mailto:health@nationalmailing.com.au\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health@nationalmailing.com.au<\/a>\u00a0or 02 6269 1080 to place an order.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><em>Note: products marked with an asterisk (*) after the reference code\u00a0are now\u00a0not orderable.\u00a0No back orders are being taken.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Australian dietary guidelines<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf\">Australian dietary guidelines &#8211; providing the scientific evidence for healthier Australian diets (2013)<\/a><em>\u00a0*<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Brochures, posters and more&#8230;<\/h3>\n<div class=\"align-right\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/diet_guidelines_cover.jpg\" alt=\"Australian Dietary Guidelines cover graphic of a stylised apple containing smaller pictures of healthy eating examples and individuals seen throughout publication..\" width=\"245\" height=\"300\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_131014_1.pdf\">Australian dietary guidelines &#8211; summary<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55a *<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55b_educator_guide_140321_1.pdf\">Eat for health Educator guide &#8211; Information for nutrition educators<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55b*<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55e_infant_brochure_0.pdf\">Giving your baby the best start &#8211; Brochure<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55e<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-08\/n55f_children_brochure.pdf\">Healthy eating for children &#8211; Brochure<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55f\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55g_adult_brochure.pdf\">Healthy eating for adults &#8211; Brochure<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55g<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55h_healthy_eating_during_pregnancy_0_0.pdf\">Healthy eating during your pregnancy &#8211; Brochure<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55h<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-11\/n55i_australian_guide_to_healthy_eating_0.pdf\">Australian guide to healthy eating &#8211; Poster<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>A1 size (extra large)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55l<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A3 size (medium)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55m<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A4 size (small)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55o<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/final_igthe_a3_poster_-_lr.pdf\">Indigenous guide to healthy eating \u2013 Poster<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>A1 size (extra large)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55p<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A3 size (medium)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55q\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/FINAL_ATSI_Guide_to_Healthy_Eating_A4_size_double_sided_POSTER_D15_1106141.PDF\">A4 size double sided with supporting information (small)\u00a0NHMRC Ref N55r (PDF 4.3MB)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/n55j_australian_dietary_guidelines_poster.pdf\">Eat for health: Dietary guidelines for all Australians &#8211; Poster<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55j\u00a0<\/em><em>(available sizes A3\u00a0(medium))<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/indigenous_australian_dietary_guidelines_poster_HiRes_0.pdf\">Eat for health: Dietary guidelines for all Australians (Indigenous) &#8211; Poster<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55\u00a0 (available sizes A2 (large))<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Australian guide to healthy eating &#8211; Fridge magnet\u00a0(PDF, 306KB)\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N55i\u00a0*<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Infant feeding guidelines<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/170131_n56_infant_feeding_guidelines.pdf\">Infant feeding guidelines: Information for health workers (2012)<\/a><em>NHMRC Ref N56 *<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-09\/170131_n56_infant_feeding_guidelines_summary.pdf\">Infant feeding guidelines: Summary\u00a0(2012)<\/a>\u00a0<em>NHMRC Ref N56b *<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Resources suitable for printing<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/resources-suitable-printing\">View high resolution copies suitable for desktop printing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Accessible versions of all resources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/accessible-versions-australian-dietary-guidelines-resources\">View accessible versions of the guidelines, brochures, posters and more&#8230;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Resources in languages other than English<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Translated versions of the Australian guide to healthy eating can be accessed from the\u00a0<a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au\/publicationsandresources\/pdf\/publication-pdfs\/oth-9450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NSW Health Multicultural Health Communication website<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Food essentials<\/h2>\n<p>The key to eating well is to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from each of the five food groups. Foods in the five food groups are grouped by their type and their contribution of nutrients to Australian diets. Within each group, healthy choices are those that are lowest in saturated fats, added sugars and added salt.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing a variety of nutritious foods, both from the five different groups and within each group, over the week and seasonally increases the likelihood of obtaining sufficient intake of all nutrients. Eating a variety of nutritious foods can protect our bodies from chronic disease and may also increase quality of life and longevity.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">The five food groups<\/h2>\n<h2>Guideline 2 recommends we enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five groups every day<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-8\">\n<p>The key to eating well is to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from each of the five food groups.<\/p>\n<p>These five food groups make up the Australian guide to healthy eating (see right).<\/p>\n<p>Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of the key nutrients of that food group.\u00a0 For example, the key nutrients of the milk, yogurt, cheese and alternatives food group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.<\/p>\n<p>To meet the nutrient requirements essential for good health, you need to eat a variety from each of the five food groups daily, in the recommended amounts.\u00a0 It is not necessary to eat from each food group at every meal. In fact, in some instances, you only need to eat some of the foods in each food group a couple of times a week.\u00a0 Take a look at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\">Guideline 2<\/a>\u00a0and discover the wide variety of choices within the five groups.<\/p>\n<p>It is also important to enjoy a variety of foods within each of the five food groups because different foods vary in the amount of the key nutrients that they provide.\u00a0 For example, in the vegetables and legumes food group, orange vegetables such as carrots and pumpkins contain significantly more vitamin A than other vegetables such as white potatoes.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at the five food groups and discover the incredible variety and the abundance of choice there is when eating from these groups.<\/p>\n<h2>More information on the five food groups:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\/vegetables-and-legumes-beans\">Vegetables and legumes\/beans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\/fruit\">Fruit\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\/grain-cereal-foods-mostly-wholegrain-and-or-high-cereal-fibre-varieties\">Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and\/or high cereal fibre varieties\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\/lean-meat-and-poultry-fish-eggs-tofu-nuts-and-seeds-and-legumesbeans\">Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes\/beans\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\/milk-yoghurt-cheese-and-or-their-alternatives-mostly-reduced-fat\">Milk, yoghurt cheese and\/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">How much do we need each day?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-9\">\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em>\u00a0inform people of different ages, life stages and gender, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">minimum number of serves<\/a>\u00a0from each food group they need to eat each day, to make sure they get the full amount of nutrients their body needs.<\/p>\n<p>Most people who want to lose weight should stick to the minimum number of serves. However, people in their healthy weight range, who are taller than average or more physically active, may find they need extra serves from the five food groups.<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, most of the extra serves should be chosen from the vegetables, fruit and grain (cereals) food groups but some extra choices can be made from milk, yoghurt, cheese and\/or\u00a0 alternatives, the lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs and\/or alternative group, and including less often, unsaturated fats\/oils\/spreads.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">Discretionary choices<\/a>\u00a0are often an enjoyable part of the Australian diet, and can be included occasionally if your energy needs allow this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-3 hidden-sm hidden-xs\">\n<div class=\"align-right\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/143922269_8_stir_fry_web.jpg\" alt=\"Prepared stir fry food with various vegetables and red meat presented in wok with implement just cooked with steam rising.\" width=\"187\" height=\"280\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Often people find that to get enough serves from all the food groups they need to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>swap discretionary choices for foods from the five food groups<\/li>\n<li>make breads or grains part of at least two meals most days<\/li>\n<li>include vegetables at least twice a day, particularly important if you would like to lose weight<\/li>\n<li>make vegetables take up at least one third of meals and half the meal if you are trying to lose weight. So it\u2019s important to serve vegetables or salad as a side dish even when eating meals like pasta, lasagne or risotto. By eating more vegetables in your meals, serves of other foods will be smaller and the overall meal will have fewer kilojoules.<\/li>\n<li>include lean meat or meat alternative as part of at least one meal a day<\/li>\n<li>add fruit to at least two meals or use as snacks or desserts<\/li>\n<li>include a serve of low fat milk, yoghurt or cheese as a significant part of at least two meals or snacks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also good for your health to include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>fish meals every week<\/li>\n<li>meals with legumes every week<\/li>\n<li>a wide variety of different coloured vegetables every day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>More information on this topic:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">What is a serve?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/serve-sizes\">Serve sizes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/putting-it-all-together\">Putting it all together<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-children-adolescents-and-toddlers\">Recommended number of serves for children and adolescents<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-adults\">Recommended number of serves for adults<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/sample-meal-plan-men\">Sample meal plan for men<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/sample-meal-plan-women\">Sample meal plan for women<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/media-resources\">Sample meal plan for children<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Fat, salt, sugar, alcohol<\/h2>\n<p>ealthier. It can help us manage our weight better and reduce our risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers and chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n<p>This is why foods that are high in saturated fats, added salt, added sugars or alcohol are called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary choices<\/a>. They also tend to be low in fibre and important nutrients like vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n<p>These foods are important for celebrating and social occasions, but should be limited to small amounts and only eaten sometimes.<\/p>\n<h3>How do I work out what foods to eat?<\/h3>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\">Australian dietary guidelines\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-guide-healthy-eating\">Australian guide to healthy eating<\/a>\u00a0have been reviewed to make sure they are based on most current scientific evidence. This means they can be used to assess popular claims about food and health and to work out what is true.<\/p>\n<p>It can be tricky when different people are giving conflicting advice about healthy eating. It can be hard to know what to believe.<\/p>\n<p>The following tips provide a few simple facts that can make it easier to pick the information that is most helpful.<\/p>\n<h2>More information on fat, salt, sugars and alcohol<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/fat-salt-sugar-and-alcohol\/fat\">Fat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/fat-salt-sugar-and-alcohol\/salt\">Salt<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/fat-salt-sugar-and-alcohol\/sugars\">Sugars<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/fat-salt-sugar-and-alcohol\/alcohol\">Alcohol<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Discretionary food and drink choices<\/h2>\n<h2>What are discretionary food choices?<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/discretionary_agthe_web.jpg\" alt=\"Discretionary foods graphic of various snacks, sweets, and other foods.\" width=\"500\" height=\"188\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Some foods and drinks do not fit into the five food groups because they are not necessary for a healthy diet and are too high in saturated fat and\/or added sugars, added salt or alcohol and low in fibre. These foods and drinks can also be too high in kilojoules (energy). Many tend to have low levels of essential nutrients so are often referred to as \u2018energy-dense\u2019 but \u2018nutrient-poor\u2019 foods. The problem is that they can take the place of other more nutritious foods. Also, the higher levels of kilojoules, saturated fat, added sugars, added salt and\/or alcohol that they contain are associated with increased risk of obesity and chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer.<\/p>\n<p>It is easy to have too much and too many of these foods and drinks, and many people do. If you are trying to lose weight, you are unlikely to be able to fit these foods into your lower kilojoule target. However, for people in their normal weight range, these foods and drinks in occasional, small amounts, can add variety and enjoyment to eating. These \u2018optional\u2019 foods and drinks are referred to as \u2018discretionary choices\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Discretionary\u2019 foods and drinks include sweet biscuits, cakes, desserts and pastries; processed meats and fattier\/salty sausages; sweetened condensed milk; ice cream and other ice confections; confectionary and chocolate; savoury pastries and pies; commercial burgers with a high fat and\/or salt content; commercially fried foods; potato chips, crisps and other fatty and\/or salty snack foods including some savoury biscuits; cream, butter and spreads which are high in saturated fats; sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, sports and energy drinks and alcoholic drinks.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Eating well<\/h2>\n<p>Australians have access to a wide range of foods, but most of us need to choose foods and drinks more wisely to help protect our health.<\/p>\n<p>It can be hard to choose nutritious foods and drinks, especially when foods and drinks high in saturated fat, added sugars, added salt and alcohol are readily available and affordable, and the environment in which we live promotes over-consumption.<\/p>\n<p>Aim for a healthy lifestyle \u2013 make positive choices and take control of your health. Look at all your areas of wellbeing and don\u2019t just focus on your weight. Feel good about yourself for making small changes \u2013 these can lead to big improvements.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Tips for eating well<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row margin-bottom\">\n<div class=\"col-md-7\">\n<p>The recommendations in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\">Australian dietary guidelines<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-guide-healthy-eating\">Australian guide to healthy eating\u00a0<\/a>help us choose foods for good health and to reduce our risk of chronic health problems.<\/p>\n<p>If we are carrying extra weight, the Australian dietary guidelines can also help us lose weight. They steer us towards foods that are high in nutrients but lower in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/frequently-asked-questions\">kilojoules<\/a>. These choices are nutrient dense but less energy dense and helpful for both achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.<\/p>\n<p>People wanting to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/tips-losing-weight-healthily\">lose weight<\/a>\u00a0will also find this information useful for planning meals and snacks. Following the recommended number of serves from the five food groups and avoiding the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary foods\u00a0<\/a>will result in a gradual but healthy weight loss for most people. However, some people, particularly younger men and people who are taller than average or more active, may need additional\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">serves<\/a>\u00a0of the five food groups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-5 float-left-sm\">\n<div class=\"align-right\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/72582692_8_web_produce_adult_child.jpg\" alt=\"Adult shopping with child in cart choosing produce in supermarket\" width=\"280\" height=\"187\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can also check by taking the \u2018Are you eating for health?\u2019 quiz in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\">Dietary guidelines summary booklet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Eating regularly<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s essential for weight control and especially weight loss, to recognise and act on the feedback your body gives you about when and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">how much you need to eat<\/a>. However it\u2019s also important to aim for a regular eating pattern of meals, or meals and mid meals.<\/p>\n<p>A planned pattern of eating is more likely to include the recommended number of serves from the five food groups. A spontaneous, unstructured eating pattern is more likely to include too many\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary foods<\/a>\u00a0which means too much saturated fat, added sugars, added salt and kilojoules at the expense of fibre and important nutrients.<\/p>\n<h2>Don&#8217;t skip breakfast?<\/h2>\n<p>Breakfast skippers are more likely to be tempted by unplanned discretionary choices during the morning and large serves at the next meal or snack. Just think of how yummy those large baked muffins look at morning tea if you\u2019ve missed breakfast!<\/p>\n<p>People who regularly eat a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\">breakfast<\/a>\u00a0based on wholegrain cereal or bread, low fat milk or yogurt and maybe some fruit or vegetables are much more likely to be eating well and lose weight than those who skip breakfast.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row \">\n<div class=\"col-md-7\">\n<h2>Eat with other people not TV<\/h2>\n<p>We also know that people who eat with others and eat at the dining table, are more likely to eat regularly and eat well than those who eat alone or in front of the TV. Meals with others tend to include more foods from the five food groups. For example, people often report that they can\u2019t be bothered cooking vegetables just for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Television watching is associated with eating more discretionary choices like take-away or convenience foods and fewer foods from the five foods. It also makes it much more difficult to recognise and respond to our body\u2019s signals about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">hunger and satiety.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Good meal planning and making healthy choices can sometimes be tricky but a few useful tips can make it easier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-5 float-left-sm\">\n<div class=\"align-right\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/144563555_8_family_eating.jpg\" alt=\"Family older woman and younger woman sharing meal at table.\" width=\"187\" height=\"280\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>More information on this topic:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/eating-away-home\">Eating away from home<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/choosing-nutritious-foods\">Choosing nutritious foods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/healthy-eating-budget\">Healthy eating on a budget<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/food-shopping-tips\">Food shopping tips<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/how-add-variety-your-diet\">How to add variety to your diet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/quick-and-easy-meals\">Quick and easy meals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/meal-planning\">Meal Planning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/tips-losing-weight-healthily\">Tips for losing weight healthily<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/low-fat-cooking-techniques\">Low fat cooking techniques<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/healthy-meal-and-snack-ideas\">Healthy meal and snack ideas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Healthy eating throughout all of life<\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\"><em>Australian dietary guidelines<\/em><\/a>\u00a0will help people of all ages make the best food and drink choices for good health and avoid health problems. However, there are also some special messages for people at different stages of life because their bodies are changing.<\/p>\n<h2>Healthy eating for infants, children and teenagers<\/h2>\n<p>Infants, children and teenagers have special food needs because they are growing and developing. They also need extra energy for playing and being more active.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-eating-throughout-all-life\/healthy-eating-infants-children-and-teenagers\">More information on healthy eating for infants, children and teenagers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Healthy eating when you\u2019re pregnant or breastfeeding<\/h2>\n<p>When you\u2019re pregnant or breastfeeding, you and your baby need extra nutrients, but not a lot of extra kilojoules. This means it\u2019s very important to choose foods that are nutrient dense but not energy dense.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-eating-throughout-all-life\/healthy-eating-when-you're-pregnant-or-breastfeeding\">More information on healthy eating when you\u2019re pregnant or breastfeeding<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Healthy eating when you\u2019re older<\/h2>\n<p>As we get older we often need fewer kilojoules because we are less active than when we were younger. However, we still need a similar amount of nutrients, sometimes more.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">How to understand food labels<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/how-understand-food-labels\">Food labels<\/a>\u00a0can be very confusing and tricky to understand. Often we don\u2019t have the time to spend trying to work out what they mean and how to use them.<\/p>\n<p>However, a few quick tips can make shopping for healthy food a whole lot easier and quicker and can help you lose weight. Knowing what nutrition information to look for, can help you make the best choice for your health and avoid unnecessary saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and kilojoules.<\/p>\n<p>Labels on most packaged food must meet strict requirements that include information for people with food allergies, food additive listings and food storage instructions. More information about food labelling requirements can be found at\u00a0<a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foodstandards.gov.au\/consumer\/labelling\/Pages\/interactive-labelling-poster.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food labels &#8211; What do they mean? Food standards Australia and New Zealand<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While food labels can carry many different types of information, the main things to look at when choosing healthy food are the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/how-understand-food-labels\/food-labels-what-look\">Nutrition information panel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Nutrition information panel<\/h2>\n<p><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foodstandards.gov.au\/consumer\/labelling\/Pages\/interactive-labelling-poster.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Refer to Foods Standards interactive labelling poster.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-8\">\n<p>The Nutrition information panel on a food label offers the simplest and easiest way to choose foods with less saturated fat, salt (sodium), added sugars and kilojoules, and more fibre. It can also be used to decide how large one\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">serve<\/a>\u00a0of a food group choice or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary food<\/a>\u00a0would be and whether it\u2019s worth the kilojoules. This is particularly important if you are trying to lose weight.<\/p>\n<p>First use the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-guide-healthy-eating\">Australian guide to healthy eating<\/a>\u00a0to decide whether a food belongs in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\">five food groups<\/a>\u00a0and is an \u2018everyday\u2019 food for eating regularly, or a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary food<\/a>\u00a0best eaten only sometimes or in small amounts.<\/p>\n<p>Then use the Nutrition information panel to compare similar packaged foods and to decide which product provides less saturated fat, salt (sodium), added sugars and kilojoules per 100gm and more fibre per serve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Using Nutrition information panels to help you lose weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If we want to lose weight, it\u2019s best to avoid discretionary foods as they provide few nutrients but plenty of kilojoules. However, it is still possible to include small serves of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary foods<\/a>, eaten occasionally and savoured by eating slowly and enjoying the food with all our senses.<\/p>\n<p>The trick is to choose only the foods or drinks that we really enjoy. Some people have a sweet tooth or love chocolate, others prefer savoury and love a great cheese. Other people really enjoy a wine sipped slowly. All food is not equally special for us. We all have our favourites.<\/p>\n<p>The Nutrition information panel can help us decide if a food is really \u2018kilojoule worthy\u2019. Beware of foods that look like a single serve, but actually contain several servings in one packet. Once we know the kilojoules in a serve, we can weigh up whether our enjoyment warrants the extra kilojoules.<\/p>\n<h2>Health star rating (HSR) system<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-01\/hsrs_example.png\" alt=\"Black and white star rating example logo this example rated 3.5 stars with no values in the subsequent energy categories.\" width=\"232\" height=\"68\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Health star rating (HSR) system is a front-of-pack labelling scheme developed for use in Australia and New Zealand to \u2018provide convenient, relevant and readily understood nutrition information and\/or guidance on food packs to assist consumers to make informed food purchases and healthier eating choices\u2019. Health star ratings will make it much easier for shoppers to make informed choices about healthier food options.<\/p>\n<p>The HSR on the front of food packages provides an at-a-glance overall rating of the healthiness of the food product (reflected as a star rating), as well as specific nutrient and energy information. The more stars, the healthier the choice.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, the HSR will provide the most useful source of comparison between similar food products (e.g. comparing packaged breakfast cereals). Where the nutrient icons are also displayed, they will provide information about the energy content of a product, as well as the levels of saturated fat, sodium (salt) and sugars, to help you make the best choice to suit your personal circumstances. In some cases, a positive nutrient icon (e.g. fibre) may also be displayed to provide you with additional information to help you choose the right product for you.<\/p>\n<p>The HSR system was developed by Australian, state and territory governments, industry, public health and consumer groups.<\/p>\n<h2>Ingredients list<\/h2>\n<p>All ingredients in a food product must be\u00a0<a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foodstandards.gov.au\/consumer\/labelling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listed on the label in order (Food labels &#8211; What do they mean? Food Standards Australia and New Zealand<\/a>, from largest to smallest by weight.<\/p>\n<p>You can use this to spot foods that might be high in saturated fat, added salt or added sugars because these ingredients are listed in the top three. Also look out for other words on the ingredients list that flag ingredients high in saturated fat, added salt or added sugars.<\/p>\n<h3>Using the ingredients list to help you lose weight<\/h3>\n<p>To lose weight we need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules than our bodies use. The kilojoules can come from one source or a combination of fat, sugars, protein, carbohydrate or alcohol. It\u2019s the overall kilojoule total that matters for weight loss, rather than the source of the kilojoules. However, if fat or sugars are high on the list of ingredients, it is a good reason to check how high the kilojoules are in the amount you would eat.<\/p>\n<h2>Nutrition content claims<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes labels will include nutrition content claims like \u2018low fat\u2019, \u2018reduced salt\u2019 or \u2018high fibre\u2019. These claims can only be used if the food meets certain criteria. For example, with a \u2018good source of calcium\u2019 claim, the food must contain more than a set amount of calcium. While nutrition content claims can generally guide you to healthier choices, it is important to check the claim by looking at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/how-understand-food-labels\/food-labels-what-look\">Nutrition information panel<\/a>. For example, products carrying \u2018low fat\u2019 claims may not be low in total energy (kilojoules) when compared with similar products.<\/p>\n<h2>Health claims<\/h2>\n<p>Different to nutrition content claims, health claims link a food, or a nutrient or substance in a food, to a health effect. There are two types of health claims:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>General level health claims\u00a0<\/strong>refer to a nutrient or substance in a food and its effect on a health function. For example:\u00a0<em>calcium is good for bones and teeth<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>High level health claims<\/strong>\u00a0refer to a nutrient or substance in a food and its relationship to a serious disease or to a biomarker of a serious disease. For example:\u00a0<em>Diets high in calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis in people 65 years and over<\/em>. An example of a biomarker health claim is:\u00a0<em>Phytosterols may reduce blood cholesterol<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A new standard to regulate nutrition content and health claims was gazetted in January 2013 (Standard 1.2.7 \u2013 Nutrition, health and related claims). There is a three year transition period which means that by 18 January 2016, foods carrying nutrition content claims, health claims and endorsements will need to comply with the new Standard.\u00a0<a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foodstandards.gov.au\/food-standards-code\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here for an overview of Standard 1.2.7 from the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand website.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Standard 1.2.7 ensures consumers and health professionals can have confidence that health claims are well supported by scientific evidence, and it helps consumers make informed food choices. Health claims are only permitted on foods that meet certain nutrition criterion, thereby preventing health claims on food higher in saturated fat, sugar or salt.<\/p>\n<h2>Percentage daily intake<\/h2>\n<p>Some labels also list nutrients in a serve of the product as a percentage of daily nutrient intake. This can be used to compare the nutrients in one serve of the food with what an \u2018average adult\u2019 needs. Like nutrition claims, this information can give you a rough guide, but your individual needs, particularly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/frequently-asked-questions\">kilojoules<\/a>, could be quite different.<\/p>\n<p>The tables below offer a simpler way to work out how a food fits with your nutrient and energy requirements for a day. It can also be used to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\/tips-losing-weight-healthily\">plan meals and snacks to lose weight<\/a>\u00a0if extra serves and discretionary foods are avoided.<\/p>\n<h3>Minimum recommended average daily number of serves from each of the five food groups<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-children-adolescents-and-toddlers\">Children and adolescents<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-adults\">Adults<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Healthy recipes<\/h2>\n<div class=\"container main-container  js-quickedit-main-content\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"row row-main\">\n<section class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-12\">\n<div id=\"main-content-container\">\n<div class=\"region region-content\">\n<article class=\"basic-page full clearfix\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item\">\n<p>Trying out new meal and snack ideas and recipes based on the recommendations from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\">Australian dietary guidelines<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-guide-healthy-eating\">Australian guide to healthy eating<\/a>\u00a0is a great way to make healthy choices and lose any extra weight.<\/p>\n<p>Each recipe included here, combines foods from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\">different food groups<\/a>\u00a0and uses a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\">variety of foods<\/a>\u00a0within each group.<\/p>\n<p>To know how much to eat, check out the number of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">serves<\/a>\u00a0from each food group that you need for your age and sex.<\/p>\n<h2>Recipes<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/easy-mince-ideas\">Easy mince recipes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/simple-vegetarian-recipes\">Simple vegetarian recipes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/citrus-coleslaw\">Citrus coleslaw<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/salsa\">Salsa<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/bbq-vegetables\">BBQ vegetables<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/mexican-corn-and-tomato-salad\">Mexican corn and tomato salad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/warm-roasted-vegetable-salad\">Warm roast vegetable salad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/chickpea-and-couscous-salad\">Chickpea and couscous salad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/ratatouille\">Ratatouille<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/tuna-and-avocado-salad\">Tuna and avocado salad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/vegie-lentil-soup\">Vegie lentil soup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/carrot-and-parsnip-muffins\">Carrot and parsnip muffins<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/banana-parcels\">Banana parcels<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/all-year-round-fruit-salad\">All year round fruit salad<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/vegie-curry\">Vegie curry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/vegie-lasagne\">Vegie lasagne<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/fast-fish-medley\">Fast fish medley<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/chicken-and-vegie-pie\">Chicken and vegie pie<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/easy-beef-hotpot\">Easy beef hotpot<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/fast-vegie-spaghetti\">Fast vegie spaghetti<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/hearty-minestrone-soup\">Hearty minestrone soup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/curried-carrot-soup\">Curried carrot soup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-top hidden-xs\">\n<div class=\"align-right\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/160196064_47_web_prepared_food_capsicum.jpg\" alt=\"Red capsicum prepared cut in half and filled with cubed vegetables and cous cous.\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Recipe modification tips<\/h3>\n<p>Favourite and traditional recipes can often be modified to include more fibre, more fruit and vegetables and less saturated fat, added sugars, added salt and kilojoules.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/recipe-modification-tips\">Recipe modification tips<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/healthy-recipes\/how-modify-recipe-include-more-vegetables-and-reduce-fat\">How to modify a recipe to include more vegetables and reduce fat &#8211; Original recipe lasagna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Steps to work out how much to eat from a recipe<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Look at the recipe ingredients.<\/li>\n<li>Classify the ingredients according to their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\">food groups<\/a>\u00a0and use the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">serve sizes<\/a>\u00a0information to work out the total number of serves from each food group in the recipe.<\/li>\n<li>Divide the total from each food group by the number of people served by the recipe.<\/li>\n<li>This will tell you how many serves from each food group are in each \u2018serve\u2019 or the recipe and help you decide on each person\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/what-serve\">portion size<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s an example of how it works<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Someone wanting to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/eating-well\/tips-eating-well\">lose weight<\/a>\u00a0should aim to eat only the number of serves from each food group recommended in the tables below and avoid extra serves and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices\">discretionary foods<\/a>\u00a0and drinks. By doing this, you would eat fewer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/frequently-asked-questions\">kilojoules<\/a>\u00a0than what your body uses and lose weight gradually while staying healthy.<\/p>\n<h2>Minimum recommended average daily number of serves from each of the five food groups<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-children-adolescents-and-toddlers\">Children, adolescents and toddlers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/how-much-do-we-need-each-day\/recommended-number-serves-adults\">Adults<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have extra weight to lose, it is very useful to remember to always serve yourself half a plate of coloured vegetables or salad first. Then think about how large a portion from the recipe you need to feel satisfied, but not full. The extra vegetables will fill you up for fewer kilojoules.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer role=\"contentinfo\">\n<div class=\"footer row margin-top\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-4 col-lg-3\"><a class=\"footer-crest-nhmrc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhmrc.gov.au\/\">Go to the National Health and Medical Research Council home page | Australian Government<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-4 col-lg-3\"><a class=\"footer-crest-health\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/\">Go to the Department of Health and Aged Care home page | Australian Government<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-8 col-lg-9 vbottom\">\n<div class=\"region region-footer\">\n<section id=\"block-nhmrc-webformissuereport\" class=\"settings-tray-editable block block-block-content block-block-contentfb85b02d-ac8b-4af7-aa03-b6a325e360c6 clearfix block-\" data-drupal-settingstray=\"editable\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item\">\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Food safety<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/guidelines\/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5\"><strong>Guideline 5<\/strong><\/a>states that Australians should care for their food; prepare and store it safely. We have a reliable, safe and nutritious food supply in Australia. But food poisoning happens too frequently. More than five million cases of food borne illnesses are estimated to occur every year in Australia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Useful information about ways to keep food safe can be found at the websites below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foodstandards.gov.au\/consumer\/safety\/food-safety-basics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Standards Australia and New Zealand &#8211; Food safety fact sheets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au\/foodsafetyandyou\/keeping-food-safe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NSW Food Authority &#8211; Keeping food safe<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/HealthyLiving\/food-safety-and-storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Better Health Channel &#8211; Topic: Food safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.health.qld.gov.au\/foodsafety\/#factsheets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Queensland Government &#8211; Food safety fact sheets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/nt.gov.au\/industry\/hospitality\/food-safety-and-regulations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Northern Territory Department of Health &#8211; Fact sheets: Food safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.wa.gov.au\/Articles\/F_I\/Food-safety-posters-and-stickers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Government of Western Australia &#8211; Food safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.tas.gov.au\/health-topics\/food-safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tasmania Department of Health and Human Services &#8211; Food safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sahealth.sa.gov.au\/wps\/wcm\/connect\/public+content\/sa+health+internet\/conditions\/food+safety\/food+safety+week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Government of South Australia &#8211; Food safety index<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"external link (new window)\" href=\"http:\/\/foodsafety.asn.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Safety Information Council<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"landing-heading\">Eat for health calculators<\/h2>\n<div class=\"row \">\n<div class=\"col-md-8\">\n<p>The Eat for health program provides up-to-date advice about the amounts and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing. The recommendations are based on the latest scientific evidence, developed after looking at all the good quality research.<\/p>\n<p>These calculators can estimate your energy (kilojoule) needs, nutrient requirements and the number of serves from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/food-essentials\/five-food-groups\">five food groups<\/a>\u00a0you need daily.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-4\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-03\/140233382_apple_scales_web.jpg\" alt=\"Red apple resting on digital scales. Weight reads 157g.\" width=\"300\" height=\"270\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/nutrition-calculators\/daily-energy-requirements-calculator\">Calculate your daily energy needs<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>The energy requirements calculator estimates your daily energy requirements for good health based on what your body needs for breathing, circulating blood, digesting food and physical activity.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/nutrition-calculators\/daily-nutrient-requirements-calculator\">Calculate your daily nutrient requirements<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>The nutrients calculator helps estimate how much of each nutrient is needed per day by healthy individuals to maintain their health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatforhealth.gov.au\/nutrition-calculators\/average-recommended-number-serves-calculator\">Average recommended number of serves calculator<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>By eating the recommended amounts from the five food groups, you will get enough of the nutrients essential for health and wellbeing, including a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. The average recommended number of serves calculator will guide you with this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Credit sources from \u201cEat for Health (Gov. of Australia)\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian dietary guidelines- The Australian dietary guidelines give advice on eating for health and wellbeing. They\u2019re called dietary guidelines because it\u2019s your usual diet that influences your health. Based on the latest scientific evidence, they describe the best approach to eating for a long and healthy life. What are the Australian dietary guidelines? The\u00a0Australian [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-201","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/201\/revisions\/202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.goigi.biz\/teenthreads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}