Australian Dietary Guidelines

Nutritional guidelines provide standards for individuals to follow and the Australian dietary guidelines are one of the essential ones. Read on to learn standard dietary tips.

Guideline 1 – Exercise Regularly

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs. This is one of the fundamental parts of the Australian dietary guidelines.

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

In all the cases of specific or at-risk populations mentioned above, you must ensure that clients are referred to an appropriately qualified allied health or medical professional including but not limited to; Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.

Guideline 2 – Eat Healthy

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five food groups every day

• Plenty of vegetables of different types and colours, and legumes/beans
• Fruit
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, 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
• And drink plenty of water.

In all the cases of specific or at-risk populations mentioned above, you must ensure that clients are referred to an appropriately qualified allied health or medical professional including but not limited to; Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.

Guideline 3 – Avoid Refined Foods

Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol

• Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat such as many biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods, potato chips, crisps and other savoury snacks
• Replace high fat foods which contain predominately saturated fats such as butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with foods which contain predominately polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado
• Low-fat diets are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years
• Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added salt
• Read labels to choose lower sodium options among similar foods
• Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table
• Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars such as confectionery, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks
• If you choose to drink alcohol, limit intake. For women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is the safest option
• In this case, it is recommended that clients are referred to Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.

In all the cases of specific or at-risk populations mentioned above, you must ensure that clients are referred to an appropriately qualified allied health or medical professional including but not limited to; Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.

Guideline 4 – Encourage, Support and Promote Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the healthiest start for infants. For the infant, breastmilk provides a unique mix of nutrients and other important substances that can reduce the risk of infection and may also help reduce the risk of asthma, eczema and other allergies, and sudden infant death syndrome. Research shows that, amongst other benefits, being breastfed can reduce the risk of high blood pressure in childhood and may reduce the risk of becoming obese in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This, in turn, may also reduce the risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke in later life. For the mother, breastfeeding can help recovery from birth and, may also help mothers return to their pre-pregnancy weight and reduce their risk of some cancers. Breastmilk is a natural, convenient, hygienic, and inexpensive food for babies.

In all the cases of specific or at-risk populations mentioned above, you must ensure that clients are referred to an appropriately qualified allied health or medical professional including but not limited to; Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.

Guideline 5 – Care For Your Food; Prepare and Store It Safely

• We have a reliable, safe, and nutritious food supply in Australia. But food poisoning happens too frequently
• All foods, and particularly fresh foods, need to be transported, stored, and prepared properly to avoid contamination

This is particularly important when we are preparing food to eat later. * Food poisoning occurs when we eat contaminated foods or drinks.

Contamination can occur when foods aren’t kept at the right temperature when raw foods aren’t separated from cooked and ready to eat foods when food preparation tools aren’t cleaned properly or the people preparing foods are unwell and don’t follow good personal hygiene practices.

Fresh or perishable foods are especially at risk of contamination

We can get the best from our food – retaining its freshness and nutritional value – by preparing and storing it safely.

In all the cases of specific or at-risk populations mentioned above, you must ensure that clients are referred to an appropriately qualified allied health or medical professional including but not limited to; Dietitians or Sports Dietitians for Nutrition advice.