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Enjoying healthy eating.
The key to healthy eating is variety and moderation.
Variety- enjoy a wide variety of foods from all food groups and try to make your diet as colourful and textured as possible. This will help to ensure that you receive all the nutrients you need. It will also add that extra interest at meal times.
Moderation- enjoy your food but try not to overindulge, too often. Even with fresh, healthy, low fat meals, overeating can lead to excess weight gain and further health complications.
It can be difficult to know what is an appropriate serving of food. All over the world, serving sizes of foods/meals in supermarkets, restaurants and takeaway outlets, have been increasing, making it hard for us to determine just how much we should be eating. How much you need to eat depends on your body size, current weight and activity level. Table 1 provides a general guide to servings from different food groups that you can enjoy each day.
One more thing…. remember to enjoy foods. Take an interest in food preparation and the wide variety of foods we have available to us. Take time to share a meal with friends and family. There is definitely more to good food than just nutrition!
A Guide to Healthy Eating for Adults (Table 1)
| Food Group |
Gender |
Age |
No.
serves/day |
What is a serve? |
Cereals (including
bread, rice, pasta,
noodles) |
Women |
19-60 years
60+ years
Pregnant
Breastfeeding |
4-9
4-7
4-6
5-7 |
2 slices wholegrain bread;
1 medium bread roll;
1 cup breakfast cereal;
1 cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles;
½ cup natural muesli. |
| Men |
19-60 years
60+ years |
6-12
4-9 |
Vegetables &
legumes |
Women |
19-60 years
60+ years
Pregnant
Breastfeeding |
5
5
5-6
7 |
½ cup cooked vegetables;
1 medium potato or sweet potato;
1 cup salad vegetables;
½ cup cooked dried beans, peas and lentils. |
| Men |
19-60 years
60+ years |
5
5 |
| Fruit |
Women |
19-60 years
60+ years
Pregnant
Breastfeeding |
2
2
4
5 |
1 piece medium sized fruit (apple, orange, pear);
½ cup juice;
1 cup diced pieces or canned fruit;
2 tablespoons dried fruit;
2 pieces smaller fruit (apricots, plums). |
| Men |
19-60 years
60+ years |
2
2 |
Milks, yoghurt,
cheese |
Women |
19-60 years
60+ years
Pregnant
Breastfeeding |
2
2
2
2 |
250ml milk or fortified soy milk;
40g cheese;
200g yoghurt;
250ml custard. |
| Men |
19-60 years
60+ years |
2
2 |
Nuts, legumes,
eggs, fish,
poultry, lean meat |
Women |
19-60 years
60+ years
Pregnant
Breastfeeding |
1
1
1 ½
2 |
½ cup cooked dried beans, peas and lentils;
100g firm tofu;
2 eggs;
1/3 cup nuts;
¼ cup seeds;
65-100g cooked lean meat/chicken;
80-120g cooked fish fillet.
|
| Men |
19-60 years
60+ years |
1
1 |
| * Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults- A guide to healthy eating. NHMRC, 2003. |
Breakfast... the most important meal of the day
Healthy choices when eating away from home
Dietary Fibre
The facts on fat
What is the glycaemic index?
Choosing Foods low in salt
Plant foods for optimal health
The importance of water
Exercise matters
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