Eat a variety of foods

Eating a wide range of foods in the appropriate amounts from each of the five major food groups is considered healthy eating.

Consuming a range of foods from the five major food groups keeps your diet interesting with a variety of flavors and textures while also giving your body a variety of nutrients, promoting good health, and lowering your risk of disease.

Numerous items that are frequently included on a regular basis in modern diets are not included in the five food groups. Although they can be occasionally enjoyed, these foods—also known as "junk food," "discretionary choices," or "occasional foods"—should not be a regular part of a healthy diet. Although high in kilojoules (energy), fats and oils are essential for a balanced diet in moderation.

It's simple to make small adjustments to align your diet more closely with the Normal Dietary Guidelines, regardless of where you're starting from. Just concentrate on cutting back on the occasional food and increasing your intake of items from the five major dietary groups.

The 5 food groups are:

• vegetables and legumes or beans

• fruit

• lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes or beans

• grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain or high cereal fiber varieties

• milk, yoghurt, cheese or alternatives, mostly reduced fat.

Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of key nutrients. For example, key nutrients of the milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.

Eating a varied, well-balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups daily, in the recommended amounts. Because different foods provide different types and amounts of key nutrients, it is important to choose a variety of foods from within each food group. As a bonus, choosing a variety of foods will help to make your meals interesting, so that you don't get bored with your diet.

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