Good nutrition supports a healthy lifestyle, lowers chronic disease risk, and boosts overall wellbeing. To simplify healthy eating, we’ve created a guide based on Australian dietary guidelines.
Guideline 1:
Maintain a healthy weight by staying active and choosing nutritious foods and drinks to match your energy needs
- 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
To understand your physical activity guidelines look at our previous article https://prohealthphysio.com.au/exercise/exercise-right-week/.
Guideline 2:
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five groups every day:
- 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 (reduced fat milks are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years)
- Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and legumes/beans
Also, don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
Guideline 3:
Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol
Replace saturated fats like butter, cream, and palm oil with healthier options such as oils, spreads, nut butters, 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.
- Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
- Read labels to choose lower sodium options among similar foods.
Limit added sugars from sweets, soft drinks, 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.
Guideline 4 :
Encourage, support and promote breastfeeding
Guideline 5:
Care for your food; prepare and store it safely
These are some basic recommendations to help guide you towards healthy eating habits. Interested in a healthier lifestyle? Visit PROHEALTH for tailored nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle programs to lower disease risk and boost wellbeing
For more information, please contact us or refer to:
Source: Eat For Health – Australian Government
Title: Australian Dietary Guidelines
Read Time: 5-10 minutes