Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

GUIDELINE 2Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foodsGuideline 2Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five groups every day:• Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and legumes/beans• Fruit• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as bread,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 their alternatives, mostly reduced fat (reduced fat milks arenot suitable for children under 2 years)Guideline 2And drink plenty of water.Summary• Dietary patterns that include a wide variety of nutritious foods are more likely to meetnutrient requirements, promote health and wellbeing and confer health benefits thanrestricted diets.• A variety of foods should be consumed from each of the five food groups – vegetablesand legumes/beans; fruit; grain (cereal) foods mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibrevarieties; lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and/or legumes/beans; andmilk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives. Mostly reduced fat milk, yoghurt and cheeseproducts are recommendedfor adults, but reduced fat milks are not suitable as the main milk drink for children underthe age of 2 years.• There are many different ways that these nutrient-dense foods can be chosen to contributeto nutritious dietary patterns that suit personal preferences. However economic, social andcultural factors can affect the ability of individuals and groups to access nutritious foods.• Although there have been improvements in diet-related health over the past decades,current consumption patterns still contribute to obesity and an increased risk of chronicdisease including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and several cancers.• Together with adherence to Guideline 3 (on limiting intake of specific foods high insaturated fat, added sugars and/or salt) and Guideline 1 (on achieving and maintaining ahealthy weight), consumption of a wide variety of nutritious foods and choosing water asa drink will substantially reduce the risk of diet-related chronic disease and promote healthand wellbeing in Australia.This chapter provides information on why the consumption of a wide variety of nutritiousfoods is beneficial to health, the evidence for the recommended approach, and includespractical advice for the general population and specific subpopulation groups.Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foodsNational Health and Medical Research Council31