Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

Children and adolescentsThe demands of growth increase the need for iron, protein and many nutrients found in this food group.Women of child-bearing ageMenstrual loss doubles the iron requirements of young women compared to young men, 36 although thatincreased requirement is lessened for women taking the oral contraceptive pill. Good food sources of iron areparticularly important for this group. Lean red meats and some types of seafood are excellent sources of iron. 9Poultry, legumes, tofu, nuts and eggs also provide some iron. For pregnant women, additional sources of ironmay be required and an appropriate health professional should be consulted.Older peopleLean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes/beans and nuts and seeds are nourishing foods for older adults andshould be included in the diet as a ready source of protein to help maintain muscle mass. 9 People with poor dentitionshould be advised to choose forms of food that are easier to eat, such as softer foods, soups and casseroles.Whole nuts may not be well tolerated where there is a problem with dentition. In these cases, the inclusion ofground nuts, nut pastes or nut meal in dishes may be more appropriate.Guideline 2People with vegetarian or vegan dietary patternsNuts and seeds and legumes/beans are important foods for people who choose vegetarian or vegan dietarypatterns and meals without meat as they can provide an alternative source of nutrients. For several nutrients,including iron, calcium and vitamin B 12, animal foods are highly bioavailable sources and care needs to be takento ensure a variety of alternatives if these foods are excluded.For lacto-ovo vegetarian diets, eggs provide vitamin B 12and milk, yoghurt and cheese products can supply calciumand vitamin B 12. The Food Modelling System used a ratio of a 5:1:1 ‘legume: egg: nuts and seeds’ mixed foodgroup. As comparable data was not available for Australia, this was based on the United States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) recommendations for proportions of these foods that would provide an adequate aminoacid balance. 9 As no Australian national data were available about choices within food categories for lacto-ovovegetarians, the same proportions within food groups (e.g. for vegetables, fruit, cereals) were used as for theequivalent omnivore group.For pregnant women and children consuming vegetarian diets, it should be noted that iron was limiting in thediets as modelled and additional sources of iron would be essential to meet their requirements. 9 Vitamin B 12is only available from animal food sources and supplementation may be needed by people with vegetarian orvegan dietary patterns.Food safetyFish that have been exposed to heavy metals, dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) fromindustrial pollution of marine and freshwater environments can present a toxicological food safety risk to humanbiological systems if consumed in sufficiently large amounts. Although fish caught in specific locations could leadto high human exposure – for example, west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge 573 – exposure in Australia is generallylow. 574 The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO held an expert consultationon this issue and concluded in general that the disadvantages of foregone health benefits from fish consumptionoutweigh the risks of increased exposure to heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs, although it was acknowledged thatclose monitoring and evaluation of the fish supply and dietary exposure is needed. 575Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foodsNational Health and Medical Research Council55