We believe that understanding food and nutrition is critical in ensuring a healthy life.
Eating vegetables provides health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of your body.
- Vegetables are low-calorie and low-fat
- Vegetables are nutrient-dense
- Vegetables provide complex carbohydrates
- Vegetables allow you to fill up for less
- Vegetables help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure
- Vegetables contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals
- Vegetables are low in sodium and cholesterol
Your mother always said, “eat your vegetables” and she was right – maybe in more ways than she knew. While you don’t have to go all veggie and become a strict vegetarian, one of the healthiest eating habits you can foster in your family is to eat more vegetables.
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods
A variety of foods should be consumed from each of the five food groups:
Vegetables
vegetables and legumes/beans
Fruits
apples and pears, citrus, stone fruits, tropical and exotic, berries, melons
Grains
grain (cereal) foods mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, rice, pasta, noodles
Protein
lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and/or legumes/beans
Dairy
milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives
Australian Dietary Guidelines
The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide information about the types and amounts of foods, food groups and dietary patterns that aim to:
- promote health and wellbeing;
- reduce the risk of diet-related conditions, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity; and
- reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines are for use by health professionals, policy makers, educators, food manufacturers, food retailers and researchers, so they can find ways to help Australians eat healthy diets.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines apply to all healthy Australians, as well as those with common health conditions such as being overweight. They do not apply to people who need special dietary advice for a medical condition, or to the frail elderly.
An electronic copy of the Guidelines is available at www.eatforhealth.gov.au.