Australian Dietary Guidelines: Recommended daily intakes

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend the number of ‘standard serves’ we should consume from the five core food groups each day, for a nutritious and balanced diet.

• About the Australian Dietary Guidelines
• About standard serves.

The recommended intakes are an average to aim for each day. While it is normal to eat more of some foods on some days, and less on other days, what matters most is that you eat as close to these amounts as possible. This will ensure you’re getting an adequate amount of energy and nutrients in your overall diet.

Separate Infant Feeding Guidelines exist (for healthcare workers) for children under 2 years of age, or click you can to download a brochure ‘Giving your baby the best start’.

Visit www.eatforhealth.gov.au for further information on the Australian Dietary Guidelines and recommended intakes.

Recommended daily intakes

Recommended average number of standard serves per day

Toddlers	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Girls and boys 1–2 years	2-3	0.5	4	1	1-1.5	0
Girls and boys 2-3 years	2.5	1	4	1	1.5	0-1

 

Children	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Girls 4-8 years	4.5	1.5	4	1.5	1.5	0-1
Girls 9-11 years	5	2	4	2.5	3	0-3
Boys 4-8 years	4.5	1.5	4	1.5	2	0-2.5
Boys 9-11 years	5	2	5	2.5	2.5	0-3

 

Adolescents	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Girls 12-13 years	5	2	5	2.5	3.5	0-2.5
Girls 14-18 years	5	2	7	2.5	3.5	0-2.5
Boys 12-13 years	5.5	2	6	2.5	3.5	0-3
Boys 14-18 years	5.5	2	7	2.5	3.5	0-5

 

Adults	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Women 19-50 years	5	2	6	2.5	2.5	0-2.5
Women 51-70 years	5	2	4	2	4	0-2.5
Men 19-50 years	6	2	6	3	2.5	0-3
Men 51-70 years	5.5	2	6	2.5	2.5	0-2.5

 

Older adults	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Women 70+ years	5	2	3	2	4	0-2.5
Men 70+ years	5	2	4.5	2.5	3.5	0-2.5

 

Pregnant & breastfeeding	Vegetables and legumes	Fruit	Grains (cereal)	Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans	Milk, yoghurt, cheese & alternatives	Allowance for additional serves from any food group*
Pregnant
Under 18 years	5	2	8	3.5	3.5	0-3
Over 18 years	5	2	8.5	3.5	2.5	0-2.5
Breastfeeding
Under 18 years	5.5	2	9	2.5	4	0-3
Over 18 years	7.5	1	9	2.5	2.5	0-2.5

* Additional serves are allowed for taller or more active people. Nutrition Australia encourages people to choose additional extra serves from the five core food groups, and to limit serves of ‘discretionary foods’ to a maximum of one serve per day (approx. 600kJ).

Healthy fats

The Guidelines also include a daily allowance for additional unsaturated fats from spreads, oils, nuts or seeds:

Age and gender	Daily allowance for additional unsaturated fats
1-2 years	7–10g (Nut pastes are recommended instead of whole nuts and seeds because of the potential choking risk).
2-3 years	4.5g
4-11 years	7-10g
12-13 years	11-15g
14-18 years	14-20g
Men under 70	28-40g
Women under 70	14-20g

The key to a balanced diet is to enjoy a variety of foods from the five core food groups, and to limit your intake of foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Click here for more information on healthy eating for you.