Nutrition

New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guideline Statements for Healthy Adults

Maintain a healthy body weight by eating well and by daily physical activity.*
Eat well by including a variety of nutritious foods from each of the four major food groups each day.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- Eat plenty of breads and cereals, preferably wholegrain.
- Have milk and milk products in your diet, preferably reduced or low-fat options.
- Include lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or alternatives.
Prepare foods or choose pre-prepared foods, drinks and snacks:
- with minimal added fat, especially saturated fat
- that are low in salt; if using salt, choose iodised salt
- with little added sugar; limit your intake of high-sugar foods.
Drink plenty of liquids each day, especially water.
If choosing to drink alcohol, limit your intake.
Purchase, prepare, cook and store food to ensure food safety.

* At least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most if not all days of the week and if possible add some vigorous exercise for extra health and fitness. Food groups and the nutrients they provide The Food and Nutrition Guideline statements refer to the four food groups. Table 1 gives a broad indication of the main nutrients supplied by each food group. Not all the foods within each group will contain all these nutrients. See Appendix 1 for serving sizes of foods within the food groups and for examples of three-day meal plans to achieve these guidelines.

Page last updated: 5 August 2007