dog

or run around at the local park.

What are the dietary Guidelines?

Healthy
• Be physically active – play outside, walk the
fish or meat.
fish or meat.
• Wash their hands before eating or cooking.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide
• Remove all bones from
•
Guideline 3:
Remove all bones from
make this family time. up-to-date advice about the amount and
vegetables to soften them.
vegetables to soften them.
kinds of foods that we need to eat for Limit intake of foods containing

eating for
• Turn off the tv and computer at mealtimes – • Cook or grate hard fruit and
• Cook or grate hard fruit and Carefor
Care yourfood;
foryour prepareand
food;prepare storeititsafely.
andstore
health and wellbeing. They are based
safely.
and preparing foods and drinks too. hard confectionary or crisps. saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol.
• Try new foods and recipes – help with cooking on scientific evidence and research.
hard confectionary or crisps.
them hard foods such as popcorn, nuts, a. Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat such as
Guideline5:5:
Guideline
them hard foods such as popcorn, nuts,
many biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed

children
The Australian Dietary Guidelines of most
• Sit with them when they eat and don’t give
• Sit with them when they eat and don’t give
meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods,
they come from. Encourage, supportand
Encourage,support promotebreastfeeding.
andpromote breastfeeding.
• Learn about how foods are grown and where relevance to children are included below:
hard foods. To prevent this from happening:
hard foods. To prevent this from happening: potato chips, crisps and other savoury snacks. Guideline4:4:
Guideline
children (less than 3 years of age) can choke on
• Replace high fat foods which contain
children (less than 3 years of age) can choke on
Guideline 1:
• Eat a healthy breakfast every day. It is also important to remember that young
predominately saturated fats such as butter,
It is also important to remember that young
drinks, vitamin waters and soft drink. energyand
energy sportsdrinks.
andsports drinks.
To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be
and sports drinks.
and sports drinks. cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm
drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters,
teach your child healthy
like cordial, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters,
physically active and choose amounts of nutritious
• Sugar-sweetened cordials, soft drinks
• Sugar-sweetened cordials, soft drinks oil with foods which contain predominately
sugars such as confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft
sugars such as confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft
• Drink plenty of water instead of sugary drinks
food and drinks to meet your energy needs. polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such
habits For a healthy liFe • Cream and butter
• Cream and butter Limitintake
c.c. Limit offoods
intakeof anddrinks
foodsand containingadded
drinkscontaining added
as oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado.
• Children and adolescents should eat sufficient
• Eat mainly wholegrain cereal foods and breads. • • Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
• Crisps and other fatty and/or salty snacks
• Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
• Low fat diets are not suitable for children under the
Crisps and other fatty and/or salty snacks
and cheese (once they are 2 years or older). nutritious foods to grow and develop normally. similarfoods.
amongsimilar
among
age of 2 years.
fried foods foods.
They should be physically active every day and
fried foods
• Enjoy reduced fat varieties of milk, yoghurt • • Read labels to choose lower sodium options
Read labels to choose lower sodium options
• Commercial burgers, hot chips, and
•
b. Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added salt.
their growth should be checked regularly.
Commercial burgers, hot chips, and
vegetables and fruit that are in season. b. intakeofoffoods
Limitintake
b. Limit drinkscontaining
anddrinks
foodsand addedsalt.
containingadded salt.
• Meat pies and other pastries • Read labels to choose lower sodium options
• Meat pies and other pastries

Guideline 2:
• Provide a variety of types and colours of fresh age of 2 years.
among similar foods.
age of 2 years.
• Ice-cream, confectionery and chocolate
• Ice-cream, confectionery and chocolate • • Low fat diets are not suitable for children under the
Low fat diets are not suitable for children under the
occasions.
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five
• Processed meats and sausages
• Processed meats and sausages • Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
as oils,spreads,
asoils, nutbutters/pastes
spreads,nut andavocado.
butters/pastesand avocado.
c. Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added
• Save discretionary choices for special
food groups every day:
• Sweet biscuits, cakes and desserts
• Sweet biscuits, cakes and desserts polyunsaturatedand
polyunsaturated andmonounsaturated fatssuch
monounsaturatedfats such
from the Five Food Groups. • Plenty of vegetables of different types and colours, sugars such as confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft
oil with foods which contain predominately
oil with foods which contain predominately
of discretionary
Examples of
Examples choices include:
discretionary choices
drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters,
include:
• Choose ‘everyday foods’ for home and school and legumes/beans cream,cooking
cream, margarine,coconut
cookingmargarine, andpalm
coconutand palm
• Fruit
small amounts.
in small
in amounts. energy and sports drinks.
predominately saturated fats such asbutter,
predominately saturated fats such as butter,
You can help by teaching your whole family to:
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high
should be
they should eaten only
be eaten sometimes and
only sometimes
they and • • Replace high fat foods which contain
Replace high fat foods which contain
choices as they get older. cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta,
sugars, added
sugars, salt, or
added salt, alcohol. IfIf chosen,
or alcohol. chosen, Guideline 4:
potatochips,
potato crispsand
chips,crisps savourysnacks.
othersavoury
andother snacks.
noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley
high in
are high kilojoules, saturated
in kilojoules, fat, added
saturated fat,
are
Encourage, support and promote breastfeeding.
are more likely to make their own healthy added meats, commercial burgers, pizza, friedfoods,
meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods,
of our dietary patterns. Discretionary foods
of our dietary patterns. Discretionary
• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and
nutritious foods from the Five Food Groups foods manybiscuits,
many cakes,pastries,
biscuits,cakes, pies,processed
pastries,pies, processed
they are
they not an
are not essential or
an essential necessary part
or necessary
seeds, and legumes/beans
Guideline 5:
grow up in families that enjoy a variety of part Limitintake
a.a. Limit foodshigh
offoods
intakeof saturatedfat
highininsaturated suchas
fatsuch as
Childhood is a time of learning. Children who ‘Discretionary choices’
‘Discretionary are called
choices’ are that because
called that because
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly saturatedfat,
saturated addedsalt,
fat,added andalcohol.
sugarsand
addedsugars
salt,added alcohol.
Care for your food; prepare and store it safely.
reduced fat (reduced fat milks are not suitable for Limit intakeof
Limitintake foodscontaining
offoods containing
children under the age of 2 years) Guideline3:3:
Guideline
encouraGinG healthy habits Foods to limit:
Foodsto discretionary choices
limit: discretionary
And drink plenty of water. choices

Want more information about healthy eating?

Foods to limit: discretionary choices encouraGinG healthy

encouraGinG healthy habits
habits

‘Discretionary choices’ are called that because Childhood is

Childhood is aa time
time of
of learning.
learning. Children
Children who
who
they are not an essential or necessary part grow up in families that enjoy a variety
grow up in families that enjoy a variety of of
of our dietary patterns. Discretionary foods nutritious foods
nutritious foods fromfrom the
the Five
Five Food
Food Groups
Groups
are high in kilojoules, saturated fat, added are more
are more likely
likely toto make
make their
their own
own healthy
healthy
sugars, added salt, or alcohol. If chosen, choices as
choices as they
they getget older.
older.
they should be eaten only sometimes and
You can help by teaching your whole family to:
You can help by teaching your whole family to:
in small amounts.
• Choose ‘everyday foods’ for home and school
• Choose ‘everyday foods’ for home and school
Examples of discretionary choices include:
from the Five Food Groups.
from the Five Food Groups. DietaryGuidelines provide
The AustralianDietary
The Australian Guidelines provide
• Sweet biscuits, cakes and desserts up-to-date advice about the amount and
up-to-date advice about the amount and
• Save discretionary choices for special
• Save discretionary choices for special kinds of foods that we need to eat for health
• Processed meats and sausages kinds of foods that we need to eat for health
occasions.
occasions. and wellbeing.
and wellbeing.
• Ice-cream, confectionery and chocolate
• Provide a variety of types and colours of fresh
• Provide a variety of types and colours of fresh Formore
moreinformation
informationvisit:
visit:
• Meat pies and other pastries For
vegetables and fruit that are in season.
vegetables and fruit that are in season. www.eatforhealth.gov.au
www.eatforhealth.gov.au
• Commercial burgers, hot chips, and
• Enjoy reduced fat varieties of milk, yoghurt
• Enjoy reduced fat varieties of milk, yoghurt
fried foods orcontact:
or contact:
and cheese (once they are 2 years or older).
and cheese (once they are 2 years or older).
• Crisps and other fatty and/or salty snacks National Health and Medical Research Council
National Health and Medical Research Council
• Eat mainly wholegrain cereal foods and breads.
• Eat mainly wholegrain cereal foods and breads. GPO Box 1421
GPO Box 1421
• Cream and butter Canberra ACT 2601
Canberra ACT 2601
• Drink plenty of water instead of sugary drinks
• Drink plenty of water instead of sugary drinks 13 000 NHMRC (13 000 64672)
• Sugar-sweetened cordials, soft drinks 13 000 NHMRC (13 000 64672)
like cordial, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit
like cordial, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit
and sports drinks.
drinks, vitamin waters and soft drink.
drinks, vitamin waters and soft drink. Toorder
To orderprint
printcopies
copiescontact:
contact:
It is also important to remember that young National Mailing and Marketing
National Mailing and Marketing
• Eat a healthy breakfast every day.
• Eat a healthy breakfast every day.
children (less than 3 years of age) can choke on Email: health@nationalmailing.com.au
Email: health@nationalmailing.com.au
hard foods. To prevent this from happening: • Learn about how foods are grown and where
• Learn about how foods are grown and where Phone: 02 6269 1080
Phone: 02 6269 1080
• Sit with them when they eat and don’t give they come from.
they come from. Publication Reference: N55f
Publication Reference: N55f
them hard foods such as popcorn, nuts, • Try new foods and recipes – help with cooking
• Try new foods and recipes – help with cooking
hard confectionary or crisps. and preparing foods and drinks too.
and preparing foods and drinks too.
• Cook or grate hard fruit and
• Turn off the tv and computer at mealtimes –
• Turn off the tv and computer at mealtimes –
vegetables to soften them.
make this family time.
make this family time.
• Remove all bones from
fish or meat. • Wash their hands before eating or cooking.
• Wash their hands before eating or cooking. Coverphoto
photocourtesy
courtesyofofthe
theDepartment
DepartmentofofFamilies,
Families,Housing,
Housing,Community
CommunityServices
Servicesand
andIndigenous
IndigenousAffairs
Affairs
Cover

• Be physically active – play outside, walk the

• Be physically active – play outside, walk the
dog or run around at the local park.
dog or run around at the local park.

Children Layout (WEB).indd 1 22/02/13 3:20 PM

 SERVE SIZES
A standard serve of vegetables is about 75g (100-350kJ) or:
½ cup cooked green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli,
½ ½m 1 ½ Serves per day spinach, carrots or pumpkin)
cup mediu cup cup 2–3 4–8 9–11 12–13 14–18 ½ cup cooked, dried or canned beans, peas or lentils*
years years years years years 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
½ cup sweet corn
Boys 2½ 4½ 5 5½ 5½ ½ medium potato or other starchy vegetables (sweet potato,
taro or cassava)
Girls 2½ 4½ 5 5 5 1 medium tomato
Vegetables and legumes/beans *preferably with no added salt

A standard serve of fruit is about 150g (350kJ) or:

1 1 2 Serves per day 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear
medium cup small 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
2–3 4–8 9–11 12–13 14–18 1 cup diced or canned fruit (with no added sugar)
years years years years years Or only occasionally:
125ml (½ cup) fruit juice (with no added sugar)
Boys 1 1½ 2 2 2
30g dried fruit (for example, 4 dried apricot halves,
1½ tablespoons of sultanas)
Girls 1 1½ 2 2 2
Fruit
A standard serve (500kJ) is:
1 ½ cuepd ²³ ½ cuepd 1 slice (40g) bread
slice cook cup cook ½ medium (40g) roll or flat bread
Serves per day ½ cup (75–120g) cooked rice, pasta, noodles, barley, buckwheat, semolina,
polenta, bulgur or quinoa
2–3 4–8 9–11 12–13 14–18 ½ cup (120g) cooked porridge
years years years years years ²/³ cup (30g) wheat cereal flakes
¼ cup (30g) muesli
Boys 4 4 5 6 7
Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or 3 (35g) crispbreads
1 (60g) crumpet
high cereal fibre varieties Girls 4 4 4 5 7
1 small (35g) English muffin or scone

A standard serve (500-600kJ) is:

65g 80g 100g 2 1 65g cooked lean meats such as beef, lamb, veal, pork, goat or
kangaroo (about 90–100g raw)*
large cup
Serves per day 80g cooked lean poultry such as chicken or turkey (100g raw)
100g cooked fish fillet (about 115g raw weight) or one small can of fish
2–3 4–8 9–11 12–13 14–18
2 large (120g) eggs
years years years years years
1 cup (150g) cooked or canned legumes/beans such as lentils, chick peas or
split peas (preferably with no added salt)
Boys 1 1½ 2½ 2½ 2½
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and 170g tofu
30g nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter or tahini or other nut or
seeds, and legumes/beans Girls 1 1½ 2½ 2½ 2½ seed paste (no added salt)
*weekly limit of 455g

A standard serve (500-600kJ) is:

1 cup (250ml) fresh, UHT long life, reconstituted powdered milk or buttermilk
1 2 ¾p 1 ½ cup (120ml) evaporated milk
cup slices cu cup 2 slices (40g) or 4 x 3 x 2cm cube (40g) of hard cheese, such as cheddar
Serves per day
½ cup (120g) ricotta cheese
2–3 4–8 9–11 12–13 14–18 ¾ cup (200g) yoghurt
years years years years years 1 cup (250ml) soy, rice or other cereal drink with at least 100mg of added
calcium per 100ml
Boys 1½ 2 2½ 3½ 3½
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives,
mostly reduced fat Girls 1½ 1½ 3 3½ 3½

 To meet additional energy needs, extra serves from  A

 n allowance for unsaturated spreads and oils for cooking, or nuts   F or meal ideas and advice on how to
the Five Food Groups or unsaturated spreads and and seeds can be included in the following quantities: 4–5g per day apply the serve sizes go to:
oils, or discretionary choices may be needed by for children 2–3 years of age, 7–10g per day for children 3–12 years
children who are not overweight but are taller,
more active or older in their age band.
of age, 11–15g per day for children 12–13 years of age and 14–20g www.eatforhealth.gov.au
per day for adolescents 14–18 years of age.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION GO TO www.eatforhealth.gov.au

Which foods should I eat and How much?

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
Enjoy a wide variety
of nutritious foods
The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide up-to-date
advice about the amount and kinds of foods and drinks
HOW MUCH IS A SERVE?
groups every day. Vegetables and
from these five food legumes/beans
Drink plenty of water. that we need regularly, for health and well-being. It’s helpful to get to know the recommended serving sizes and
serves per day so that your child eats and drinks the right amount
Grain (cereal) foods, By providing your child with the recommended amounts
mostly wholegrain of the nutritious foods they need for health – as shown in the
and/or high cereal Muesli
from the Five Food Groups and limiting the foods that
fibre varieties
tables above. We’ve given you the serve size in grams too, so
Polenta
are high in saturated fat, added sugars and added salt,
you can weigh foods to get an idea of what a serve looks like.
Quinoa they will get enough of the nutrients essential for good
Fettuccine
Red kidney
health, growth and development. They may have a The ‘serve size’ is a set amount that doesn’t change. It is used
reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease,
Penne beans

along with the ‘serves per day’, to work out the total amount of
Wheat flakes
Red lentils Chickpeas type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. Your child food required from each of the Five Food Groups. ‘Portion size’
may also feel better, look better, enjoy life more and is the amount your child actually eats and this will depend on
live longer! what their energy needs are. Some children’s portion sizes are
smaller than the ‘serve size’ and some are larger. Children may
Red kidney
The amount of food your child will need from the eat smaller amounts more often if they choose.
Five Food Groups depends on their age, gender,
beans
Lentils

Mixed nuts

Chickpeas
height, weight and physical activity levels. For example,
a 3-year-old boy requires 1 serve of fruit a day, but HOW MANY SERVES A DAY?
Fruit an 11-year-old boy needs 2 serves of fruit a day.
A 9-year-old girl needs 4 serves of grain (cereal) Children rarely eat exactly the same way each day and it is
Lean meats and
poultry, fish, eggs,
tofu, nuts and seeds
foods a day, and a 14-year-old girl needs 7 serves a common to have a little more on some days than others.
and legumes/beans Milk, yoghurt, cheese
and/or
alternatives, mostly reduc
ed fat day. Children who are taller, more physically active or However, on average, the total of their portion sizes should
in small amounts
in the higher end of their age band (and not overweight end up being similar to the number of serves they need each day.
Only sometimes and
Use small amounts
or obese) may be able to have additional serves of the
Five Food Groups or unsaturated spreads and oils or If your child eats portions that are smaller than the ‘serve size’ they
discretionary choices. will need to eat from the Food Groups more often. If your child’s
portion size is larger than the ‘serve size’, then they will need to
For further information go to www.eatforhealth.gov.au. eat from the Food Groups less often.