The Australian Dietary Guidelines helps people to choose wisely from a wide range of foods and drinks. A selection of servings from each of the five food groups each day will provide the energy, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body needs to maintain good health.
The recommended number of servings for each food group is given in this table.
| Food group | Recommended number of serves per day | One serve equals |
|---|---|---|
| Grain (cereal) foods | 3 to 6* | 1 slice (40 grams) of bread |
| or ½ medium (40 grams) roll or flat bread | ||
| or ½ cup (75-120 grams) cooked rice, pasta, noodles, barley, buckwheat, semolina, polenta, bulgar or quinoa) | ||
| or ½ cup (120grams) cooked porridge | ||
| or 2/3 cup (30 grams) wheat cereal flakes | ||
| or 1/4 cup (30 grams) muesli | ||
| or 3 (35 grams) crispbreads | ||
| or 1 (60 grams) crumpet | ||
| or 1 small (35 grams) English muffin or scone | ||
| Vegetables and legumes | 5 to 6* | 1/2 cup cooked green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli, spinach, carrots, pumpkin) |
| or ½ cup cooked dried or canned beans, peas or lentils | ||
| or 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables | ||
| or ½ cup sweet corn | ||
| or ½ medium potato or other starchy vegetables (sweet potato, taro or cassava) | ||
| or 1 medium tomato | ||
| Fruit | 2* | 1 medium piece of fruit (for example, an apple, banana, orange or pear) |
| or 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums | ||
| or 1 cup diced or canned fruit (no added sugar) | ||
| or only occasionally: | ||
| 125ml (1/2 cup) fruit juice (no added sugar) | ||
| or 30 grams dried fruit (for example, 4 dried apricot halves, 1 ½ tablespoons of sultanas) | ||
| Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives | 2 1/2 to 4* | 1 cup (250ml) fresh, UHT long life, reconstituted powdered milk or buttermilk |
| or ½ cup (120ml) evaporated milk | ||
| or 2 slices (40grams) or 4 x 3 x 2cm cube (40g) of hard cheese, such as cheddar | ||
| or ½ cup (120 grams) ricotta cheese | ||
| or ¾ cup (200 grams) yoghurt | ||
| or 1 cup (250ml) soy, rice or other cereal drink with at least 100mg of added calcium per 100ml | ||
| Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes | 2 to 3* | 65 grams cooked lean red meats such as beef, lamb, veal, pork, goat or kangaroo (about 90-100 grams raw) |
| or 80grams cooked lean poultry such as chicken, turkey (100 grams raw) | ||
| or 100 grams cooked fish fillet (about 115 grams raw) or one small can of fish | ||
| or 2 large (120 grams) eggs | ||
| or 1 cup (150 grams) cooked or canned legumes/beans such as lentils, chick peas or split peas | ||
| or 170 grams tofu | ||
| or 30 grams nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter or tahini or other nut or seed paste |
*Number of serves is dependent on age, gender, height, weight and physical activity levels, and also whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
