DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, their simple derivatives, and
their polymers with linkages of the acetal type. They can be classified according to their degree of
polymerisation and can be divided initially into three principal groups—sugars, oligosaccharides
and polysaccharides. Carbohydrates are the least concentrated form of energy providing 16
kilojoules per gram.
Cereals
Refers to the entire class of cereal/grain foods, including whole or partially processed cereal grains
(for example, rice, oats, corn and barley), breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous,
oats, quinoa and barley. It excludes cereal or grain-based products with a significant amount of
added fat and sugar, such as cakes, pastries, and biscuits.
Children
For the purposes of these Guidelines, children are defined as toddlers aged 1 to 2 years,
preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years and primary school age 6 to 11 years.
It is important for children to receive a nutritious diet which includes all the nutrients they need
to grow and develop normally.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, chemically a sterol, occurs in all the cell membranes of land animals. Brains and egg
yolks are very rich in it, oils and fats from plants never contain it. Eating cholesterol does not
necessarily increase cholesterol in human blood plasma because when it is absorbed the liver
tends to reduce its own endogenous cholesterol synthesis. About half the body’s cholesterol is
made in the body from acetate.
Complementary foods
Any food—manufactured or locally prepared—that is suitable as a complement to breastmilk or
infant formula when either becomes insufficient to satisfy an infant’s nutritional requirements.
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 193