The five food groups
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we should include a variety of foods everyday from all five food groups.
Fruit
How much should I have?
4-8yrs | 9-11yrs | 12-13yrs | 14-18yrs | |
Boys | 1 ½ | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Girls | 1 ½ | 2 | 2 | 2 |
What’s a serve?
- 1 medium fruit (banana, apple, orange)
- 2 small fruit (apricot, plum, kiwi fruit)
- 1 cup canned fruit (without added sugar)
Or occasionally:
- ½ cup fruit juice (without added sugar)
- 30g dried fruit
Vegetables and legumes/beans
How much should I have?
4-8yrs | 9-11yrs | 12-13yrs | 14-18yrs | |
Boys | 4 ½ | 5 | 5 ½ | 5 ½ |
Girls | 4 ½ | 5 | 5 | 5 |
What’s a serve?
- 1 cup raw leafy green veg (lettuce, rocket)
- ½ cup cooked green or orange veg (carrot, broccoli, pumpkin)
- ½ cup corn
- ½ medium potato or sweet potato
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives
Choose mostly low fat
How much should I have?
4-8yrs | 9-11yrs | 12-13yrs | 14-18yrs | |
Boys | 2 | 2 ½ | 3 ½ | 3 ½ |
Girls | 1 ½ | 3 | 3 ½ | 3 ½ |
What’s a serve?
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 slices of cheese
- ¾ cup of yoghurt
- 1 cup of soy milk (with added calcium)
- 100g firm tofu
Grains and cereals
Choose mostly wholegrain
How much should I have?
4-8yrs | 9-11yrs | 12-13yrs | 14-18yrs | |
Boys | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Girls | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
What’s a serve?
- 1 slice of bread
- 1 medium roll or flat bread
- ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or noodles
- ½ cup cooked porridge
- 2/3 cup wheat cereal flakes
- ¼ cup muesli
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans
Choose lean cuts
How much should I have?
| 4-8yrs | 9-11yrs | 12-13yrs | 14-18yrs |
Boys | 1 ½ | 2 ½ | 2 ½ | 2 ½ |
Girls | 1 ½ | 2 ½ | 2 ½ | 2 ½ |
What’s a serve?
- 65g of lean meat (beef, lamb, pork or kangaroo)
- 80g of chicken or turkey
- 100g of cooked or canned fish
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of legumes/beans
- 170g tofu
- 30g nuts or seeds
For more information about the foods within the five food groups, take a look at the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
Sources:
National Health and Medical Research Council 2013, Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary, accessed 4th August 2015, www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_131014.pdf