The Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating provide up to date advice about the amounts and kinds of foods that we need to eat for healthy and wellbeing. Our dietary patterns are made up of foods and drinks, not simply nutrients – it’s the types and amounts of foods and drinks that we consume regularly that really matter for our health.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines

Guideline 1:

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active, and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs

• Children and adolescents should eat sufficient nutritious foods to grow and develop normally. They should be physically active very day and their growth should be checked regularly

Guideline 2:

 Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from these five food groups everyday:

• Plenty of vegetables of different types and colours, and legumes/beans
• Fruit
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and high cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley
• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat

Guideline 3:

Limit Intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol

1. Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat
2. Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added salt
3. Limit intake of foods containing added sugars
4. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit intake

Guideline 4:

Encourage, support and promote breastfeeding

Guideline 5:

Care for your food, prepare and store it safely

 How much food should children eat?

Minimum recommended number of serves of vegetables per day:

	Serves of vegetables per day			What is a serve? ½ cup cooked green/orange vegetables ½ cup cooked dried or canned beans, peas, lentils 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
	2-3 years	4-8years	9-11years
Boys	2 ½	4 ½	5
Girls	2 ½	4 ½	5

 

Minimum Recommended number of serves of fruit per day

	Serves of fruit per day			What is a serve? A medium apple, banana, orange or pear 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums 1 cup diced or canned fruit
	2-3 years	4-8years	9-11years
Boys	1	1 ½	2
Girls	1	1 ½	2

 

Minimum recommended number of serves of grain (cereal) foods per day

	Serves of grain (cereal foods) per day			What is a serve? 1 slice of bread ½ medium roll ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles, barley ½ cup cooked porridge
	2-3 years	4-8years	9-11years
Boys	4	4	5
Girls	4	4	4

 

Minimum number of serves of lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans per day

	Serves of meats per day			What is a serve?  65g lean red meats such as cooked beef, lamb, veal, pork 80 cooked lean poultry 100g fish fillet 2 large eggs
	2-3 years	4-8years	9-11years
Boys	1	1 ½	2 ½
Girls	1	1 ½	2 ½

 

Minimum number of serves of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives per day

	Serves of dairy per day			What is a serve? 1 cup milk 2 slices (40g) cheese ¾ cup yoghurt
	2-3 years	4-8years	9-11years
Boys	1 ½	2	2 ½
Girls	1 ½	1 ½	3