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THE MAIN FOOD GROUPS

Eat plenty of:

Legumes & vegetables for:
Vitamin A, vitamin A, beta-carotene, carbohydrate, fibre, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Fruits for:
Vitamins, especially vitamin C, carbohydrates, fibre, and folate.

Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles for:
Carbohydrate, iron, thiamin, energy, protein, fat, fibre, magnesium, zinc, riboflavin and niacin.

Eat moderate amounts of:

Milk, yogurt, cheese for:
Calcium, protein energy, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, magnesium, zinc, riboflavin and vitamin B12.

Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts for:
Protein, iron, zinc fat, cholesterol, niacin equivalents and vitamin B12.

THINGS TO WATCH

• Limit saturated fat
• Choose foods low in salt
• Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink
• Consume only moderate amounts of sugar and foods containing added sugar
• Drink plenty of water
• Encourage and support breast feeding.

ENJOY A VARIETY OF FOODS EVERY DAY

Enjoying a daily variety of foods emphasises the positive aspects of eating. Foods should be eaten from each food group every day and it should be an enjoyable experience.

Eating a wide variety of nutritious foods is important in three ways:

• Eating from a variety of food groups every day, in the amounts recommended, is highly likely to result in a diet containing sufficient amounts of all the nutrients essential for health. It’s not necessary to eat from each food group at every meal.
• Because the foods in each group vary in the amount of nutrients they provide, achieving nutritional adequacy also depends on eating a variety of foods within each group. For example, yellow vegetables (vegetables and legumes) contain significantly more vitamin A than potatoes. Similarly, red meat is a better source of iron than other foods in the meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes groups. By varying your food group intake over a week and at different times of the year, there’s much greater likelihood of obtaining sufficient quantities of all nutrients.
• Eating a variety of foods from different biological origins is also believed to be beneficial to health.
• Dietary fibre is a non-nutrient dietary constituent that contributes to health. Fibre from oats is beneficial in causing a modest reduction in blood cholesterol levels, while dietary fibre from wheat foods prevents constipation and improves gut function.
• Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and bok choy) are believed to contain components associated with protection against some cancers.
• Some saturated fats are known to raise blood cholesterol levels, of which high levels are a known risk factor for coronary heart disease. Choosing foods from a mix of biological sources (both animal and vegetable) ensures a variety of fats in the diet and a balance of different types of fats.

THE FOODS IN THE GROUPS

The range of foods shown above was chosen to represent those most commonly eaten in Australia, but it should be noted that Australia is a culturally diverse country andno attempt has been made to represent all foods eaten. The basic foodstuffs shown generally have their counterparts in different cultures. This list cannot be inclusive of all the cultures and ethnic groups in Australia.

A BIT MORE INFORMATION ON EVERY FOOD GROUP

VEGETABLES & LEGUMES:
Vegetables include leaves, roots, tubers, flowers, stems, seeds and shoots. Some vegetables, like tomatoes and pumpkin, are the fruit of a plant but are included here because they are commonly used as vegetables.

Legumes are seeds from the Leguminosae family. These vegetables are eaten in immature form as green peas and beans, and mature form as dried peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas. Legumes have not been commonly eaten in Australia, and inclusion of three varieties in this group enables educators to promote their wider use.

Vegetables and legumes are good sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and carbohydrates. Capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and tomatoes are high in vitamin C. Dark green and orange vegetables like spinach, broccoli, carrots and pumpkin are high in vitamin A. Green vegetables, dried peas, beans and lentils are good sources of folate. It has been suggested that a diet that includes vegetables rich in vitamins A and C, together with vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts from the cruciferous family can help to prevent certain types of cancer.

Mature dried peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas are also included in the meat group as they are an excellent source of protein and iron.

Remember – eat a variety of different coloured vegetables every day.

FRUIT
A wide variety of fruit is available in Australia today. Fruit forms from the flower and contains the seeds of the plant. Fruit is sweet because of the sugars it contains.
Fruit is a good source of vitamins, including vitamin C and folate. It also provides carbohydrates, in particular natural sugars and fibre, especially in the edible skins. Juices belong to this same group, but they have a much lower fibre content than fresh fruit. Dried fruit also belongs in this group. It contains a concentrated form of sugar, so if eaten frequently or in large quantities it can contribute to dental caries.
Remember eat a variety of different coloured vegetables every day

BREAD, CEREALS, RICE, PASTA AND NOODLES
These include grains like wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and corn that can be eaten whole, ground into flour to make a variety of cereal foods like bread, pasta and noodles, or made into ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.

They provide a good source of carbohydrate, protein, fibre and a wide range of vitamins and minerals including folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and iron. Choose wholemeal or wholegrain varieties for even greater effect. Some processed foods in this group may also contain added fibre, vitamins and minerals during processing.

Remember – when buying food, try to limit the number or preservatives and additives.

MILK, YOGHURT, CHEESE
Milk, yoghurt and firm cheeses are the three important foods in this group and a wide range is readily available. Choose milk and yogurt on the basis of fat content, type of sweetener and flavourings used. Milks can be fresh, dried, evaporated or longlife. Cheeses can also be reduced in fat.

This food group is an excellent source of calcium; very few other foods in the Australian diet are such good sources of this important nutrient. They are also good sources of protein, riboflavin and vitamin B12.

Full cream milk, yoghurt and firm cheeses can increase your dietary fat content. For most people over five years, it is better to choose low fat varieties. For children under five years of age, full cream varieties are recommended because low fat diets are not suitable. Some people with special needs, including the frail elderly and those needing to regain weight after illness, will also benefit from full cream versions.

Some people follow a dairy-free or milk-free diet because they think milk makes mucous or they suspect a milk allergy. A link between dairy products and mucous has never been proven. Milk allergy is not common and should be diagnosed by a doctor. Before eliminating milk from your diet, talk with a dietician to ensure you’re getting enough calcium.

MEAT, FISH, POULTRY, EGGS, NUTS, LEGUMES
This food group has a wide variety and in addition to meats includes fish, eggs, nuts and nut pastes such as peanut butter, legumes, and some seeds (eg. sunflower and sesame seeds).

These are all a good source of protein, iron, niacin and vitamin B12. Red meat is a particularly good source of iron and zinc and is more easily absorbed by the body than the iron found in vegetables (the vitamin C found in fruit and vegetables will assist the body to absorb iron from plant foods if eaten at the same time).

You should eat red meat 3-4 times a week or high iron replacement foods will be required. This is especially true for girls, women, vegetarians and athletes. Iron supplements will often be recommended by your doctor or midwife during pregnancy.

EXTRA FOODS
Some foods don’t fit into the five food groups – think biscuits, cakes, desserts, pastries, soft drinks, high fat snack items such as crisps, pies, pasties, sausage rolls and other takeaways, lollies and chocolate. These don’t provide essential nutrients and some contain too much fat, salt and sugar. However, they are likely to contribute large amounts of energy and can add to the enjoyment of eating a healthy diet.

Those who are very active or growing rapidly can eat more of these kinds of than people who are inactive or trying to lose weight.

Similarly alcoholic drinks are not essential to provide the nutrients the body needs. They should only be consumed infrequently, in small amounts or not at all. Alcohol is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women (1, 2).

A healthier alternative is to eat more food from the five food groups most of the time.

WHAT ABOUT FATS AND OILS?

Margarine and oil should also be eaten sometimes or in small amounts. You can:

• Spread margarine thinly on bread and toast
• Only use a small amount of oil or margarine in food preparation and cooking.

Unsaturated fats are a type of fat found in many oils and margarines. When included in a low fat diet they may have a positive health benefit by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. These fats are known as either ‘polyunsaturated’ or ‘monounsaturated’. Sunflower, safflower, corn and soya bean oils are mainly polyunsaturated. Olive, peanut and canola oils are mainly monounsaturated.

Saturated fats can increase the risk of heart disease and are not recommended. They are found in large quantities in butter, lard and dripping, and vegetable fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils often used in commercial foods. Check the top of a food’s ingredients label – if saturated fats are at the top of the label the food likely to be high in saturated fat.