DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

Table 2.3: Recommended number of serves of grain (cereal) mostly wholegrain foods per day *
* Additional portions of the five food groups or discretionary choices are needed only by people who are taller or more active to meet additional energy requirements.
Source; Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [114]
Table 2.4: Standard serve size equivalents for grain (cereal) mostly wholegrain foods
Source; Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [114]
To meet recommended food group intakes [10] adults would require a 30% increase in grain
(cereal) foods, comprising a 160% increase in current wholegrain consumption and a 30% decrease
in refined grain (cereal) food consumption. For children over the age of 4 years, 20–60% more
wholegrain foods and 10–30% less refined cereal foods would be required to meet recommended
intakes [10]. Refined grain (cereal) food products with high levels of added sugar, fat and/or salt,
such as cakes and biscuits, are classified as discretionary foods and are not included in the grain
recommendation. While these can be included in small amounts in Total Diets with higher energy
(kilojoules) allowances, for the Australian population as a whole their intake would need to be
reduced substantially.
The suite of models which informed the update of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [10] allows
for variation in choice and amount of grain (cereal) foods to accommodate a range of cuisines. A
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 49