Australian Dietary Guidelines

What are the Australian Dietary Guidelines?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) are a set of sciencebased recommendations that help Australians make healthy food choices to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and support optimal growth and development. First published in 2013, the guidelines are regularly reviewed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and are intended for use by health professionals, policymakers, educators and the general public.

Key Principles

Balance: Eat a wide variety of foods from the five major food groups.
Variety: Choose different foods within each group to obtain a broad range of nutrients.
Moderation: Limit foods high in saturated fat, added sugars, salt and alcohol.
Portion control: Use the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) serves to gauge appropriate portion sizes.

The Five Food Groups

The guidelines organise foods into five groups, each with suggested daily serves. A serve roughly corresponds to the amount of food that provides a typical amount of key nutrients (e.g., protein, fibre, vitamins).

1. Vegetables and legumes/beans

Vegetables are low in energy but high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Legumes and beans add protein and fibre.

35 serves per day for adults ( 2.55cups).
Include a variety of colours and types leafy greens, cruciferous veg, orange/red veg, legumes, and starchy veg.

2. Fruit

Whole fruit provides fibre and natural sugars.

2serves per day ( 2cups).
Prefer fresh, frozen, or canned fruit in juice or light syrup; limit dried fruit and fruit juices.

3. Grain (cereal) foods

Whole grains are encouraged because they supply fibre, Bvitamins and minerals.

46 serves per day ( 46slices of bread, 1cup cooked rice/pasta, or 30g cereal).
Choose wholegrain varieties wherever possible.

4. Protein foods

This group covers meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes.

23 serves per day ( 75150g cooked meat/fish, 2eggs, 30g nuts).
Include at least two servings of fish per week, with one serving of oily fish (e.g., salmon, sardines).

5. Dairy and alternatives

Dairy provides calcium, protein and vitaminD (when fortified).

24 serves per day ( 250mL milk, 200g yoghurt, 30g cheese).
Choose reducedfat options where possible; for dairyfree alternatives, select those fortified with calcium and vitaminD.

Limiting Discretionary Foods

Discretionary foods are those that are high in saturated fat, added sugars, salt or alcohol and provide little nutritional benefit. The guidelines recommend limiting these to a small proportion of total energy intake.

Keep to less than 10% of total daily energy.
Examples: confectionery, sugary drinks, fast food, alcoholic beverages, processed meats.

Enjoy these foods occasionally and in small amountspreferably as part of a balanced meal rather than on an empty stomach.

Special Considerations

Infants and Young Children

From six months of age, infants should be introduced to a variety of solid foods while continuing to receive breastmilk or formula. No added salt or sugar is recommended.

Pregnancy and Lactation

Additional nutrients are needed for fetal growth and milk production. Key recommendations include:

Extra 300kJ per day.
Additional 400g folic acid and 1g iodine daily.
One extra serve of dairy and one extra serve of protein foods.

Older Australians

Older adults may need more calcium, vitaminD, fibre and protein to maintain bone health and muscle mass. Smaller, more frequent meals and fortified foods can help meet these needs.

Indigenous and Remote Communities

Guidelines recognise the importance of traditional foods (e.g., bush tucker) and promote culturally appropriate nutrition education.

Implementing the Guidelines in Everyday Life

Plan Your Meals

Use the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating plate model: half the plate vegetables and legumes, a quarter grain foods, a quarter protein foods, and a side of dairy or alternative.

Smart Shopping

Shop the perimeter of the supermarket first fresh produce, meat/fish, dairy.
Read nutrition labels: aim for 5g total sugars, 1g saturated fat and 0.3g salt per 100g for processed items.
Buy seasonal fruit and veg for better flavour and lower cost.

Cooking Tips

Prefer grilling, steaming, baking or stirfrying with little oil.
Replace butter with olive or canola oil; use herbs, spices and citrus for flavour instead of salt.
Include at least one plantbased protein (beans, lentils, tofu) per week.

Eating Out

Look for menu items that describe grilled, baked, or steamcooked. Request sauces on the side and ask for wholegrain bread or a side salad instead of fries.

Monitoring Your Progress

Selfassessment can be simple:

Keep a food diary for three consecutive days.
Compare your intake with the recommended serves using the Serve & Portion Size Guide.
Identify patterns are you consistently low on vegetables? High on sugary drinks?
Set realistic goals (e.g., add one extra fruit serve each day) and review after two weeks.