A balanced diet
17-minute read
Key facts
- A balanced diet involves eating a variety of foods from the 5 food groups in the correct amounts.
- It's also important to drink plenty of water every day.
- Some foods and drinks (those high in fat, sugar or salt) should only be eaten sometimes, in small amounts.
What is a balanced diet?
A healthy diet does not need to be complicated. Eat foods from the 5 food groups every day, in the correct amounts, and drink plenty of water.
The 5 food groups are:
- vegetables and legumes (beans)
- fruit
- grains and cereals
- lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, seeds
- milk, cheese, yoghurt or alternatives
Each food group has important nutrients.
How much should I eat?
The amount of each food you need will vary during your lifetime. Your diet will depend on factors such as:
- how active you are
- if you are male or female
- whether or not you are growing
- whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Why should I eat vegetables and legumes?
Vegetables and legumes (beans and peas) are rich in nutrients such as:
To get the most nutrition, choose fresh vegetables that are in season. Frozen or canned vegetables are also a healthy choice and can be cheaper.
Choose different coloured vegetables:
- green vegetables include snow peas, spinach, kale, cabbage, bok choy, lettuce, Brussels sprouts and broccoli
- red, orange, or yellow vegetables include capsicum, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potato, corn and pumpkin
- purple vegetables include red cabbage, beetroot and eggplant
- white vegetables are cauliflower, mushrooms, turnips, garlic and potatoes
How many vegetables and legumes should I eat?
| Life stage | Number of serves |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 year-olds | 2½ serves a day |
| 4 to 8 year-olds | 4½ serves a day |
| People aged 9 years and over | 5 to 6 serves a day |
| Pregnant people |
5 serves a day |
|
Breastfeeding people (19 to 50 years) |
7½ serves a day |
One serve of vegetables and legumes is equal to:
- ½ cup of cooked vegetables or legumes
- 1 cup of raw, green, leafy vegetables
You can include vegetables at lunch as well as dinner, by eating:
- raw veggies
- salad
- soup
- roasted vegetables on sandwiches or in salads
Cherry tomatoes, snow peas, green beans, red capsicum, celery, or carrot sticks with hummus make a great snack.
Why should I eat fruit?
Fruit is a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Like vegetables, it's a good idea to eat different coloured fruits when they are in season. Frozen and canned fruit can also be great choices.
If you want to have fruit juice, drink it only occasionally. Half a cup (125ml) is enough. Fruit juices without pulp lack fibre. Commercial fruit juices are often high in sugars, which can damage your tooth enamel.
If you choose to eat canned fruit, choose options that are canned in water or natural juice.
How much fruit should I eat?
| Life stage | Number of serves |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 year-olds | 1 serve a day |
| 4 to 8 year-olds | 1½ serves a day |
| People over 9 years | 2 serves a day |
A single serve of fruit is:
- 1 piece of medium-sized fruit — for example, an apple, banana, orange or pear
- 2 pieces of small-sized fruit — for example, apricots, kiwi fruit or plums
- ½ cup (125ml) of 100% fruit juice (choose options with no added sugar)
- 1 cup of diced, cooked or canned fruit (choose options with no added sugar)
- 30g of dried fruit — for example, 4 dried apricot halves
Why should I eat grains and cereal foods?
Grain and cereal foods are:
- bread
- rice, pasta and noodles
- polenta and couscous
- oats, quinoa and barley
- breakfast cereals
Wholegrain and high fibre varieties are good choices.
How much grains and cereals should I eat?
| Life stage | Number of serves |
|---|---|
| 2 to 8 year-olds | 4 serves a day |
| 9 to 11 year-olds | 4 to 5 serves a day |
| 12 to 13 year-olds | 5 to 6 serves a day |
| 14 to 18 year-olds | 7 serves a day |
| Adults | 4 to 6 serves a day |
| Pregnant people | 8 to 8½ serves a day |
| Breastfeeding people | 9 serves a day |
| People older than 70 years | 3 to 4½ serves a day |
A serve is equal to:
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ cup of cooked rice, pasta, noodles or other grain
- ½ cup of cooked porridge
- 3 crispbreads
- 30g of breakfast cereal (⅔ cup of wheat cereal flakes or ¼ cup of muesli)
Why should I eat lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, and seeds?
These foods contain protein, minerals and vitamins. Legumes, nuts and seeds also have dietary fibre.
It's good to choose a variety of foods from this group. Oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are very healthy. It's recommended that you eat these 2 times a week.
How much should I eat?
| Life stage | Number of serves |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 year-olds | 1 serve a day |
| 4 to 8 year-olds | 1½ serves a day |
| 9 to 18 year-olds | 2½ serves a day |
| Adult males | 2½ to 3 serves a day |
| Adult females | 2 to 2½ serves a day |
| Pregnant people | 3½ serves a day |
| Breastfeeding people | 2½ serves a day |
One serve is:
- 65g of cooked lean red meat or ½ cup of cooked lean red mince meat
- 80g of cooked poultry
- 100g of cooked fish fillet or 1 small can of fish (choose tinned fish that is not in brine)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup of legumes — for example, cooked dried lentils or chickpeas or canned beans
- 170g of tofu
- 30g of nuts or seeds
Why should I eat milk, cheese and yoghurt (or alternatives)?
These foods, which include dairy products, give you protein, vitamins, and calcium. Low or reduced fat choices are recommended for most people aged 2 years and over.
Children should have full-cream milk until they are 2 years old. Reduced-fat varieties may be suitable after that. Soy drinks with added calcium can be used as a milk substitute for children over one year of age.
Check to make sure plant-based alternatives to milk, such as nut or oat milks, are fortified with added calcium and vitamin B12. Check your child's diet with a doctor or qualified dietitian before using plant-based milk alternatives, as they may be lower in protein and vitamins and not suitable for some people.
How much should I eat?
| Life stage | Number of serves |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 year-olds | 1½ serves a day |
| 4 to 8 year-olds | 1½ to 2 serves a day |
| 9 to 18 year-olds | 2½ to 3½ serves a day |
| Adult males | 2½ to 3½ serves a day |
| Adult females aged 50 years or younger | 2½ serves a day |
| Adult females aged 51 years or older | 4 serves a day |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding people | 2½ to 4 serves a day, depending on age |
A serve is equal to:
- 1 cup of milk
- 40g of hard cheese — for example, 2 slices of cheddar cheese
- ½ cup of ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup of yoghurt
- 1 cup of calcium-enriched plant-based milk
If you use plant-based alternatives to milk, check that they have at least 100mg of calcium per 100mL.
What oils and spreads should I use?
You should eat small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads. These may be from:
- olives
- soybeans
- corn
- canola
- sunflower
- safflower
- sesame
- grapeseed
What about other foods?
Foods that are not included in the 5 food groups are called 'discretionary choices' or 'extras'. Some of these could be called 'junk foods'.
These foods and drinks are often high in:
They are often described as 'energy-rich but nutrient-poor'. When you eat these foods, they often replace healthier foods in your diet.
Discretionary choices are not needed in a healthy diet. These foods include savoury foods such as:
- store-bought burgers
- fried foods and hot chips
- potato crisps
- processed meat such as ham, devon and salami
- pies and pastries such as sausage rolls
- pizza
Sweet foods in this category are:
- ice blocks
- ice cream
- lollies
- chocolates
- biscuits
- cakes
- sweet pastries
Drinks that are energy-rich but nutrient-poor are:
- soft drinks
- cordials
- sports and energy drinks
- alcohol
Resources and support
The Australian Dietary Guidelines give advice about the kinds of foods you need to eat for health and wellbeing. The Eat for Health website has health calculators, brochures and posters on healthy eating.
The Health Translations website has information on the Australian guide to healthy eating in languages other than English.
Dietitians Australia website has diet and nutrition advice, and you can find a dietitian.
You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.