To be a healthy weight, eat a variety of food from each of the food groups, but not in excessive quantities.
Lots of packaged and take away foods, as well as restaurant meals, are provided in very large portion sizes and these have been getting bigger over the years.
We often think bigger serves are better value for money but they are actually costing our health a great deal more!
Put simply, larger portions lead people to consume more kilojoules. This is especially problematic when it comes to energy-dense (high-kilojoule) foods such as soft drinks, take-away and highly processed snack foods.
Take for example an occasional snack food like potato crisps. An acceptable snack serve is 30g, whereas some people would easily eat a 100g packet in one sitting – a whole meal’s worth of kilojoules.
How much should I be eating?
The amount you need may vary depending on your status, for example, if you are very active or inactive, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are sick, or have other special dietary requirements.
Take a look at the table below to find out the number and size of serves from each food group that an average adult is recommended to eat each day.
| Food group |
Number of serves per day |
What is a serve? |
Healthy tip |
| Breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles |
Men: 6 - 12
Women: 4 - 9 |
2 slices of bread
1 bread roll
1 cup cooked rice or pasta
1 ? cups of cereal
½ cup untoasted muesli
|
Choose wholegrain varieties. |
Vegetables,
legumes (beans, peas and lentils) |
Men: 5
Women: 5 |
½ cup cooked vegetables
1 cup salad vegetables
1 small potato
½ cup cooked lentils |
Add an extra serve of vegetables to your lunch or dinner. |
| Fruit |
Men: 2
Women: 2 |
1 medium piece of fruit (e.g. apple)
2 small pieces (e.g.apricot)
1 cup canned or chopped fruit
1 ½ tablespoons sultanas |
Buy fruit that is in season – when it is usually at its best quality and cheapest. |
| Milk, yoghurt, cheese |
Men: 2
Women: 2 |
1 cup milk
2 slices of cheese (40g)
1 small carton yoghurt (200g) |
Choose reduced fat dairy products. |
| Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes |
Men: 1
Women: 1 |
65 – 100g cooked, lean meat
½ cup lean mince
2 small chops
2 slices roast meat
80 – 120g cooked fish
2 small eggs
? cup peanuts |
Avoid processed and cured meats such as salami, bacon and sausages. |
| Extra foods |
Men: 0 – 3
Women: 0 – 2.5 |
1 doughnut
4 plain sweet biscuits
1 tablespoon margarine
? regular meat pie
12 hot chip |
Limit the amount of ‘extra’ foods you buy - you’ll do your body and your wallet a favour! |
Tips for controlling your portion size:
The good news is that small changes to your portions can make a big difference to your weight.
At home
- Use a smaller dinner or snack plate so you’re likely to eat less even if you fill your plate
- Serve meals onto individual plates instead of having all the food on the table to minimise the temptation of going back for seconds or thirds
- Freeze leftover portions
- Avoid eating directly from the package (which may be enough for a whole family!). Instead put the amount you intend to eat in a bowl.
- People tend to eat more food when it is easily accessible. Try replacing the lolly or biscuit jar with a fruit bowl and store snack foods in places that are hard to get to like the back of the top shelf in the pantry. Then you can move healthier food to eye level.
- To help you get to know what one serve looks like, fill a measuring cup with the proper sized portion of pasta, rice, etc (see the table above), then empty it onto a plate. Take note of how much of the plate is covered.
Eating out
- Consider ordering entrée sized meals with a side of salad or vegetables as required
- Avoid ‘upsizing’ your meal (for example at fast food outlets)
- Avoid eating until you feel overly full. Eat until you feel satisfied. This may mean not finishing what you have ordered, but if you are able, ask to take the leftovers home
- Share a dessert with a friend or family member or better still, avoid dessert altogether.
When food shopping
- Avoid shopping when you are hungry – you may find things in your trolley that you wouldn’t normally buy
- Be aware of large packages – the larger the package, the more you are likely to consume so consider buying smaller packages or dividing up the contents of a larger package into smaller containers.
| Tip: Keep a food diary for a week to find out what you currently eat and drink. Write down everything you eat and drink each day, including the amount you have. You will be able to see where you can make some healthier choices. |
Click here to download a food diary.