The key to eating well is to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from each of the Five Food Groups. The Five Food Groups include

• Vegetables and legumes/beans
• Fruit
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties
• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans
• Milk, yoghurt cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat

These Five Food Groups make up the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

To meet the nutrient requirements essential for good health, you need to eat a variety from each of the five food groups daily, in the recommended amounts.  It is not necessary to eat from each food group at every meal. In fact, in some instances, you only need to eat some of the foods in each food group a couple of times a week. 

It is also important to enjoy a variety of foods within each of the Five Food Groups because different foods vary in the amount of the key nutrients that they provide.  For example, in the vegetables and legumes food group, orange vegetables such as carrots and pumpkins contain significantly more vitamin A than other vegetables such as white potatoes.

For more information on the Five Food Groups visit the Eat for Health website.

Information from Eat for Health – Australian Dietary Guidelines © Commonwealth of Australia 2013.