A balanced diet

What are the 5 food groups?

A healthy diet does not need to be complicated. Eat foods from the 5 food groups every day. The 5 food groups are:

• vegetables and legumes (beans)
• fruit
• grains and cereals
• lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, seeds milk, cheese,  alternatives

Each food group has important nutrients.

The amount of each food you need will vary during your life. Your diet will depend on factors such as:

• how active you are
• whether or not you are growing
• 
  

Why should I eat vegetables and legumes (beans and peas)?

Vegetables and legumes are rich in nutrients such as:

• vitamins
• minerals
• dietary fiber

To get the most nutrition, make sure you choose:

• vegetables that are in season
• fresh, frozen or canned vegetables
• different coloured vegetables:
• greens like beans, peas, spinach, brussels sprouts and broccoli
• red, orange, or yellow vegetables like capsicums, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potato, and pumpkin
• purple vegetables like red cabbage and eggplant
• white vegetables like cauliflower, mushrooms and potatoes