Question 1

What are the five food groups in Australia?

Accepted Answer

The five food groups in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are: (1) vegetables and legumes/beans, (2) grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain or high in cereal fibre, (3) fruit, (4) milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat, and (5) lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans. Vegetables and grains take the two largest shares of the plate.

Question 2

Why are legumes listed in two food groups?

Accepted Answer

Legumes and beans appear in both the vegetable group and the lean-meats-and-alternatives group because they count nutritionally in both ways: as a vegetable rich in fibre, and as a plant protein alternative to meat. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating lists them in both so vegetarians and people eating more plants can see where they fit.

Question 3

Is dairy still a separate food group in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unlike Canada's 2019 guide, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating keeps milk, yoghurt, cheese and their alternatives as their own food group, recommending mostly reduced-fat options. Calcium-fortified plant alternatives (such as soy) are included for people who don't consume dairy.

Question 4

Where do fats and oils fit?

Accepted Answer

Small amounts of unsaturated oils and spreads are included alongside the five food groups. They are not one of the five, but they are part of a healthy diet in modest amounts. Think olive, canola and sunflower oils, and spreads made from them. Solid fats like butter and the saturated fats in many discretionary foods are limited instead.

Question 5

What foods are NOT in the five food groups?

Accepted Answer

Discretionary foods (biscuits, cakes, pastries, chips, processed and fatty meats, confectionery, sugary drinks and alcohol) are not part of the five food groups. The Australian Dietary Guidelines say to eat them only sometimes and in small amounts.

The Five Food Groups (Australian Guide to Healthy Eating)

How much of each group to eat

Serves for adults aged 19 to 50

Other ages and stages