4364.0.55.012 - Australian Health Survey: Consumption of Food Groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2011-12
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/05/2016 First Issue
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KEY FINDINGS
The Guidelines include minimum recommended numbers of serves that the population should usually consume to satisfy their nutrient requirements and minimise diet related chronic disease risk.1 ARE AUSTRALIANS MEETING THE GUIDELINES? Most Australians did not usually meet their recommended minimum number of serves for any of the Five Food Groups from non-discretionary food sources. Vegetables and legumes/beans group
Fruit group
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives group
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans group
Grain (Cereal) foods group
DO AUSTRALIANS DRINK PLENTY OF WATER? The Guidelines also include the recommendation that Australians consume plenty of water. In 2011-12, the average amount of plain water, either tap or bottled, consumed by Australians was 1,064ml. An additional 325ml of water was consumed from non-discretionary beverages such as tea and coffee. Plain water contributed around half (50%) of Australians’ total beverage consumption. WHAT ABOUT DISCRETIONARY FOODS? The Guidelines recommend that discretionary foods (i.e. those not necessary for nutrients but are often high in saturated fat, salt, sugar or alcohol) are only consumed sometimes and in small amounts. However, over one-third (35%) of total daily energy in 2011-12 came from foods and beverages classified as discretionary. 2 To remain consistent with the ADG, only non-discretionary food sources were counted towards the amounts of Five Food Groups consumed in comparisons with recommendations. ENDNOTES 1. National Health and Medical Research Council, 2013, Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: Australian Government. <https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines_130530.pdf >, Last accessed 05/05/2016 2. See discussion of Discretionary foods from 4364.0.55.007 - Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results - Foods and Nutrients, 2011-12, <https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.007~2011-12~Main%20Features~Discretionary%20foods~700 > Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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