Obesity alone is estimated to cost the economy over $8 billion each year.

And thousands of Australians are not following the recommended daily intakes of the major food groups.

Now, Australians are being told to improve their food choices with a revised national guide to healthy eating.

Quick tips
Choose wide variety of vegetables
Eat wholegrain carbs
Drink Milk
No sugar drinks
No adding salt to foods

Monitor weight

GUIDELINE 1 - FOODS WE SHOULD EAT

Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five groups every day:

1. Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and legumes/beans
2. Fruit
3. Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley
4. lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans

5. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat (reduced fat milks are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years).

GUIDELINE 2 - LIMIT FOODS AND DRINKS CONTAINING:
Saturated fats
Trans fats
Added salt
Added sugars
Alcohol

GUIDELINE 3 – MEET YOUR ENERGY NEEDS

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

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

2. Older people should eat nutritious foods and keep physically active to help maintain muscle strength and a healthy weight.

More info
Providing the scientific evidence for healthier Australian diets | National Health and Medical Research Council