These statistics form part of the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS), which ran from January 2023 to March 2024. More information on other topics of interest from the survey are available on the NNPAS 2023 page.
Consumption of food groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines
Latest release
Information on consumption of the five food groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines
Reference period
2023
Released
10/07/2026
Next release Unknown
First release
Release date and time
10/07/2026 11:30am AEST
Key statistics
- One in five (20.6%) people met the recommendation for lean meat and alternatives, more than 14.7% in 2011–12
- Around one in four people met their grains and cereals (27.8%) and fruit (23.1%) recommendations
- 4.3% of people met the recommendation for vegetables, legumes and beans
About this analysis
This third release of nutrition results from the NNPAS 2023 presents analysis on usual consumption of the food groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines (the Guidelines) as an estimate of what people eat and drink over the long-term. It complements results from the previous Food and nutrients and Usual nutrient intakes releases.
Australian Dietary Guidelines
The Guidelines provide evidence-based guidance on the amounts and types of foods and dietary patterns required for optimal health and wellbeing[1]. This analysis focuses on the recommendation that Australians enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five food groups every day[2]:
- vegetables, legumes and beans (of different types and colours)
- fruit
- grain and cereal foods (mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties)
- lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans
- milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or other alternatives (mostly reduced fat).
The Guidelines recommend a minimum number of serves from each of the five food groups to consume each day, depending on a person’s age and sex, to ensure good nutrition and health[3]. Different age groups and recommended numbers of serves for each food group have been used in this analysis. See Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study (IHMHS): Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
The Guidelines also recommend that people:
Non-discretionary foods
The Guidelines encourage people to limit their consumption of foods and beverages that are high in saturated fats, added salt or sugars, and alcohol[5]. These are referred to as ‘discretionary foods’ and do not count towards a person’s consumption of the five food groups in this analysis.
While consumption of non-discretionary foods and beverages is used to compare to the Guidelines, one-third (31.3%) of people’s daily energy intake came from discretionary foods in 2023. Limited analysis is also included on consumption from all foods and beverages (discretionary and non-discretionary).
Measuring usual food and beverage consumption
This analysis presents estimates of long-term consumption of food groups from the Guidelines. This is also called ‘usual consumption’. Usual consumption data is used for statistics about:
- the proportion of people who met the age-sex recommendations for the food groups
- the average and distribution (spread) of consumption per day for the food groups by a population.
Usual consumption data is modelled using 2 days of dietary intake information from respondents. This provides a more accurate estimate of people’s diet over the long-term as it accounts for the day-to-day variation in eating patterns[5].
This analysis also includes limited data based on one day of dietary intake information from respondents where modelling long-term intakes was not applied. One day of information is used for statistics about:
- the foods and beverages people consumed that contributed to the food groups
- average daily consumption of the food groups when discretionary foods are included.
Like other nutrition surveys, it is likely there has been some under-reporting of food and beverage consumption by respondents in NNPAS 2023. This is unlikely to affect all foods equally and readers should be aware of under-reporting while interpreting results. See methodology for more information.
Comparisons over time
Care should be taken when interpreting changes in food consumption between 2011–12 and 2023 due to changes in reporting behaviours as well as subsequent data processing (i.e. changes to the Australian Food and Nutrient Database 2023 food and dietary supplement classification and discretionary food flag). Consumption patterns may also have been influenced by actual changes in dietary behaviour and market availability of food. For more information, see IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods.
AUSNUT food groups
Food and drinks consumed by respondents are classified according to the AUSNUT (AUStralian Food and NUTrient Database) 2023 food and dietary supplement classification developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Some AUSNUT food group names have been abbreviated for ease of reading. These are outlined in the following table.
| Sub-major food group code | AUSNUT 2023 food group name | Abbreviated name |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | Breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat | Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals |
| 135 | Mixed dishes where cereal is the major ingredient | Cereal-based mixed dishes |
| 281 | Chocolate and chocolate-based confectionary | Chocolate |
At a glance – people who met the recommendations in 2023
Most Australians did not consume their minimum recommended number of serves for any of the five food groups from non-discretionary foods and beverages on a usual basis in 2023. The proportion of people who met each recommendation is summarised in the table below.
| Food group | Age group (years) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Children 2–17 years | Adults 18 years and over | Total 2 years and over | |
| Vegetables, legumes and beans (%) | 2.1 | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| Fruit (%) | 50.7 | 15.9 | 23.1 |
| Grains and cereals (%) | 29.7 | 27.3 | 27.8 |
| Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans (%) | 13.2 | 22.5 | 20.6 |
| Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives (%) | 12.7 | 5.8 | 7.2 |
Vegetables, legumes and beans
Vegetables, legumes and beans are a vital source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating vegetables also helps to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers[1].
Recommended serves
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommendations are shown below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 3 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 |
| Females (serves/day) | 3 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve of vegetables, legumes and beans is equivalent to 75 g (or 100-350 kJ). Examples of a standard serve are shown below.
Image
Description
A standard serve of vegetables, legumes and beans is about 75 g (100-350 kJ). Examples of this include half a cup cooked of green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli, carrots or pumpkin) or frozen or canned vegetables, one cup of green leafy or raw salad vegetables, half a potato or one medium tomato.
Usual consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like quiche and potato crisps.
Less than one in twenty (4.3%) people aged 2 years and over consumed the minimum recommended serves of vegetables, legumes and beans on a usual basis in 2023.
The proportion of people who met the recommendation was:
- similar for males and females (3.4% and 5.1%)
- slightly higher for adults aged 18 years and over than children aged 2–17 years (4.8% compared to 2.1%).
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–17 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| 18–29(b) | 1.9 | 5.9 | 2.6 | 9.2 | ||
| 30–49 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 3.7 | 8.7 |
| 50–64 | 4.9 | 1.4 | 8.4 | 6.9 | 3.6 | 10.2 |
| 65–74 | 4.5 | 1.9 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 3.1 | 8.9 |
| 75 years and over | 8.0 | 3.5 | 12.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 4.2 |
Proportion of people who met the vegetables, legumes and beans recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u201317","18\u201329(b)","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[2.1],[1.9],[2.8],[4.9],[4.5],[8]],[[0.3,3.9],[null],[1,4.6],[1.4,8.4],[1.9,7.1],[3.5,12.5]],[[2.2],[5.9],[6.2],[6.9],[6],[2.3]],[[0.7,3.7],[2.6,9.2],[3.7,8.7],[3.6,10.2],[3.1,8.9],[0.4,4.2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for 'Males' has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
On average, people consumed around 3 serves/day of vegetables, legumes and beans in 2023 (3.2 serves/day for males and 2.9 serves/day for females). Average usual consumption was higher for adults aged 18 years and over than children aged 2–17 years:
- for males, children consumed 2.2 serves/day compared to 3.4 serves/day for adults
- for females, children consumed 2.0 serves/day compared to 3.1 serves/day for adults.
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 5–11 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 12–17 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| 18–29 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 30–49 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 50–64 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| 65–74 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| 75 years and over | 3.3 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Average usual consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans(a) and recommendation(b), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.4],[1.9],[2.9],[3.3],[3.5],[3.5],[3.4],[3.3]],[[1.4],[1.9],[2.5],[3.1],[3.1],[3.1],[3.1],[2.6]],[[3],[4.5],[5.5],[6],[6],[5.5],[5.5],[5]],[[3],[4.5],[5],[5],[5],[5],[5],[5]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children aged 2–17 years
A small proportion (2.1%) of children aged 2–17 years consumed enough vegetables, legumes and beans to meet their recommendation in 2023.
Children aged 12–17 years had a higher median consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans, yet they were just as likely to meet the recommendation as younger children aged 2–4 years and 5–11 years.
For children aged 2–4 years and 5–11 years, the median consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans was less than half of their recommendation.
| Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | Males, median (serves/day) | Females, median (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 years | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| 5–11 years | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| 12–17 years | 5.5 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
Usual median consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans(a) and recommendation(b), by age and sex, children aged 2–17 years, 2023
["","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation","Males, median","Females, median"]
[["2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"],[[3],[4.5],[5.5]],[[3],[4.5],[5]],[[1.3],[1.7],[2.8]],[[1.3],[1.8],[2.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Adults aged 18 years and over
One in twenty (4.8%) adults aged 18 years and over met their vegetables, legumes and beans recommendation in 2023.
Males aged 18–29 years (1.9%) and 30–49 years (2.8%) were less likely to meet their vegetables, legumes and beans recommendation than males aged 75 years and over (8.0%). Males in these younger age groups have:
- a higher recommendation (6 serves/day) than males aged 75 years and over (5 serves/day)
- a similar median usual consumption as males aged 75 years and over (all between 3.2 and 3.4 serves/day).
The lower proportion of males aged between 18 and 49 years who consumed enough vegetables, legumes and beans compared to males aged 75 years and over reflects the higher recommendations of those age groups rather than differences in consumption.
Around seven in ten males aged 18–29 years (75.7%) and 30–49 years (69.3%) consumed at least 2 serves/day less than their recommendation.
A small proportion of females aged 75 years and over (2.3%) met their vegetables, legumes and bean recommendation. Females in this age group have the same recommendation (5 serves/day) as all other adult females, yet their median usual consumption was lower (2.5 serves/day compared to 3.0 serves/day).
Half (51.6%) of adult females consumed at least 2 serves/day less than their recommendation.
Comparison to 2011–12
The proportion of people who met their vegetables, legumes and beans recommendation remained similar between 2011–12 and 2023 (3.0% and 4.3%).
The average usual consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans increased by around half a serve for people aged between 12 and 49 years over this period, but the overall proportion who met the recommendation remained low.
For example, usual consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans increased the most among males aged 12–17 years between 2011–12 and 2023, where:
- average usual serves increased (from 2.1 to 2.9 serves/day)
- the proportion who consumed between 0.5 and 2.0 serves/day decreased
- the proportion who consumed between 2.5 and 5.0 serves/day increased.
Even though consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans has increased since 2011–12, most (98.3%) male children aged 12–17 years still consumed less than the recommendation (5.5 serves/day).
Daily consumption and types of vegetables, legumes and beans
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on a single day.
Type of vegetables, legumes and beans consumed
In 2023, the contribution to vegetables, legumes and beans consumption from non-discretionary foods and beverages was:
- 40.7% from vegetables like tomato, mushrooms and green beans (called ‘other vegetables’)
- 24.3% from starchy vegetables (like potatoes)
- 19.9% from green and brassica vegetables (like broccoli and cabbage)
- 9.8% from orange vegetables (like carrot and pumpkin)
- 5.3% from legumes and beans.
This trend was consistent between children and adults, and males and females, except among the following types.
Green and brassica vegetables contributed more to the daily consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans for:
- females than males (20.9% compared to 19.0%)
- adults than children (20.5% compared to 16.4%).
Starchy vegetables contributed more to the daily consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans for:
- males than females (25.7% compared to 22.7%)
- children than adults (28.5% compared to 23.6%).
Potato products (which includes hot potato chips, hashbrowns and potato wedges) contributed towards vegetables, legumes and beans consumption in 2023, but not in 2011–12. If Potato products are excluded from estimates in 2023, the average daily serves of vegetables, legumes and beans decreases from 3.0 to 2.7 serves, similar to 2011–12 (2.7 serves).
| 2011–12 (serves) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (high) | 2023 excluding potato products (serves) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (high) | 2023 (serves) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–17 years | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| 18 years and over | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Total 2 years and over | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
Average consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans(a), by age, 2011–12 and 2023, and average consumption when Potato products are excluded(a), by age, 2023
["","2011\u201312","95% confidence interval","2023 excluding potato products","95% confidence interval","2023","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u201317 years","18 years and over","Total 2 years and over"],[[1.7],[3],[2.7]],[[1.6,1.8],[2.9,3.1],[2.6,2.8]],[[1.8],[3],[2.7]],[[1.7,1.9],[2.9,3.1],[2.6,2.8]],[[2.1],[3.2],[3]],[[2,2.2],[3.1,3.3],[2.9,3.1]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves)","table_units":"(serves)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
For more information on the discretionary food flag and changes over time, see the IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods.
Vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns
People aged 15 years and over who were vegetarian or vegan consumed more serves of vegetables, legumes and beans on average (4.9 serves) compared to people who were not vegetarian or vegan (3.1 serves).
Vegetarians and vegans also consumed more serves of almost all types of vegetables, legumes and beans on the day before their interview, except for starchy vegetables, for which they consumed a similar average number of serves.
Legumes were the third-highest contributor (15.8%) to the overall consumption of vegetables, legumes and beans for vegetarians and vegans. This contribution was over 3 times higher than for people who were not vegetarian or vegan (4.4%).
Discretionary serves of vegetables, legumes and beans
If foods from discretionary sources were included, average daily serves of vegetables, legumes and beans would increase from 3.0 serves to 3.4 serves.
The additional discretionary vegetables, legumes and beans mostly came from:
- Potato snacks (40.0%)
- Gravies and savoury sauces (17.4%)
- Cereal-based mixed dishes (8.7%).
Fruit
Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Regular consumption of fruit may help prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers[2].
Recommended serves
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommendations are shown in the table below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Females (serves/day) | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve of fruit is equivalent to 150 g (or 350 kJ). Examples of a standard serve are shown below.
Image
Description
A standard serve of fruit is about 150 g (350 kJ). Examples of this include one medium apple, banana, pear or orange, 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums, or one cup of diced or canned fruit with no added sugar. Half a cup of fruit juice with no added sugar or 30 g of dried fruit can occasionally count as a serve of fruit.
Usual consumption of fruit
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like cakes and muffins or from fruit drinks that contain added sugar.
Almost one in four (23.1%) people aged 2 years and over consumed the minimum recommended number of serves of fruit on a usual basis in 2023.
The proportion of people who met the recommendation was:
- one in four (25.0%) males and one in five (21.1%) females
- higher for children aged 2–17 years than adults aged 18 years and over (50.7% compared to 15.9%).
Males and females were similarly likely to meet their fruit recommendation in every age group.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 83.9 | 74.4 | 93.4 | 81.6 | 70.8 | 92.4 |
| 5–11 | 59.5 | 51.7 | 67.3 | 58.3 | 50.5 | 66.1 |
| 12–17 | 25.5 | 17.6 | 33.4 | 25.9 | 18.6 | 33.2 |
| 18–29 | 14.9 | 9.3 | 20.5 | 11.3 | 7.0 | 15.6 |
| 30–49 | 14.6 | 11.5 | 17.7 | 11.5 | 8.3 | 14.7 |
| 50–64 | 20.0 | 15.4 | 24.6 | 13.2 | 8.1 | 18.3 |
| 65–74 | 21.8 | 17.1 | 26.5 | 16.8 | 11.8 | 21.8 |
| 75 years and over | 29.9 | 23.7 | 36.1 | 22.9 | 17.5 | 28.3 |
Proportion of people who met the fruit recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[83.9],[59.5],[25.5],[14.9],[14.6],[20],[21.8],[29.9]],[[74.4,93.4],[51.7,67.3],[17.6,33.4],[9.3,20.5],[11.5,17.7],[15.4,24.6],[17.1,26.5],[23.7,36.1]],[[81.6],[58.3],[25.9],[11.3],[11.5],[13.2],[16.8],[22.9]],[[70.8,92.4],[50.5,66.1],[18.6,33.2],[7,15.6],[8.3,14.7],[8.1,18.3],[11.8,21.8],[17.5,28.3]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Young children aged between 2 and 11 years have a lower fruit recommendation but consumed more fruit on a usual basis than older children and adults. This is reflected in the higher proportion of children in these age groups (ranging from 58.3% to 83.9%) who met their fruit recommendation.
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1 |
| 5–11 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| 12–17 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2 |
| 18–29 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 30–49 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 50–64 | 1.2 | 1 | 2 |
| 65–74 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 2 |
| 75 years and over | 1.6 | 1.4 | 2 |
Average usual consumption of fruit(a) and recommendation(b) by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.9],[1.8],[1.4],[1],[1],[1.2],[1.3],[1.6]],[[1.8],[1.8],[1.4],[1],[1],[1],[1.2],[1.4]],[[1],[1.5],[2],[2],[2],[2],[2],[2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children aged 2–17 years
Half (50.7%) of all children aged 2–17 years met their fruit recommendation in 2023.
The proportion of children who consumed enough fruit decreased with age. When compared to children aged 2–4 years and 5–11 years, older children aged 12–17 years:
- were less likely to meet the fruit recommendation (25.5% for males and 25.9% for females)
- consumed a lower median usual amount of fruit (1.0 serves/day for males and 1.2 serves/day for females).
Almost half (49.9% of males and 43.7% of females) of older children aged 12–17 years consumed less than 1 serve/day of fruit, less than half the recommendation for this age group.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1.0 | 16.1 | 19.8 | 49.9 |
| ≥1.0 to <2.0 | 45.5 | 41.5 | 24.6 |
| ≥2.0 to <3.0 | 27.4 | 26.8 | 13.6 |
| ≥3.0 to <4.0 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 6.4 |
| 4.0 or more | 2.2 | 2.7 | 5.5 |
Proportion of male children, by usual consumption of fruit(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 1.0","\u22651.0 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <4.0","4.0 or more"],[[16.1],[45.5],[27.4],[8.8],[2.2]],[[19.8],[41.5],[26.8],[9.2],[2.7]],[[49.9],[24.6],[13.6],[6.4],[5.5]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1.0 | 18.4 | 19.8 | 43.7 |
| ≥1.0 to <2.0 | 47.1 | 43.5 | 30.4 |
| ≥2.0 to <3.0 | 25.9 | 26.2 | 16 |
| ≥3.0 to <4.0 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 6.7 |
| 4.0 or more | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.2 |
Proportion of female children, by usual consumption of fruit(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 1.0","\u22651.0 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <4.0","4.0 or more"],[[18.4],[47.1],[25.9],[7.2],[1.4]],[[19.8],[43.5],[26.2],[8.3],[2.2]],[[43.7],[30.4],[16],[6.7],[3.2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Adults aged 18 years and over
One in six (15.9%) adults aged 18 years and over met their fruit recommendation in 2023.
Across age, older adults aged 75 years and over were more likely to meet their fruit recommendation when compared to most other adult age groups (29.9% for males and 22.9% for females). People in this age group also had a higher average usual consumption of fruit than any other adult age group (1.6 serves/day for males and 1.4 serves/day for females).
Around one in ten adults (9.1% of males and 10.9% of females) consumed between 1.5 and 2.0 serves/day of fruit, which is within half a serve of the recommendation.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5 | 39.1 | 33 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 20.4 | 25 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 13.4 | 17.3 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 9.1 | 10.9 |
| 2.0 or more | 18.1 | 13.8 |
Proportion of adults, by usual consumption of fruit(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 0.5","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","2.0 or more"],[[39.1],[20.4],[13.4],[9.1],[18.1]],[[33],[25],[17.3],[10.9],[13.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Fresh and canned fruit
The Guidelines recommend that people consume whole fruit from either fresh or canned varieties (including frozen fruit). Fruit juice and dried fruit can occasionally count towards a serve of fruit as substitutes for fresh fruit[2].
A smaller proportion of people aged 2 years and over (9.7% of males and 5.9% of females) met their fruit recommendation when considering fresh and canned fruit only. This was around one-third as many people as when dried fruit and fruit juice were included.
| Fresh and canned fruit only (%) | Total fruit(d) (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Males, 2–4 years(b) | 59.9 | 83.9 |
| Females, 2–4 years(c) | 53.1 | 81.6 |
| Males, 5–11 years | 27.1 | 59.5 |
| Females, 5–11 years | 23.2 | 58.3 |
| Males, 12–17 years | 8.0 | 25.5 |
| Females, 12–17 years | 3.0 | 25.9 |
| Males, 18 years and over | 5.4 | 18.1 |
| Females, 18 years and over | 2.0 | 13.8 |
Proportion of people who met the fruit recommendation(a) from total fruit and fresh and canned fruit only, by age and sex, 2023
["","Fresh and canned fruit only","Total fruit(d)"]
[["Males, 2\u20134 years(b)","Females, 2\u20134 years(c)","Males, 5\u201311 years","Females, 5\u201311 years","Males, 12\u201317 years","Females, 12\u201317 years","Males, 18 years and over","Females, 18 years and over"],[[59.9],[53.1],[27.1],[23.2],[8],[3],[5.4],[2]],[[83.9],[81.6],[59.5],[58.3],[25.5],[25.9],[18.1],[13.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age and sex group","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘Fresh and canned fruit’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportions for ‘Fresh and canned fruit’ and ‘Total fruit’ have high relative standard errors and should be used with caution.
- Includes fresh and canned fruit, fruit juice, and dried fruit.
Comparison to 2011–12
Fewer people met their fruit recommendation in 2023 than in 2011–12 (23.1% compared to 31.6%). Over this period, the proportion of people who met their fruit recommendation:
- remained similar among children aged 2–17 years (51.6% and 50.7%)
- decreased among adults aged 18 years and over (down from 26.2% to 15.9%).
The proportion of adults who consumed less than 0.5 serves/day of fruit doubled between 2011–12 and 2023, from 20.4% to 39.1% for males and from 17.3% to 33.0% for females.
The proportion of people who met their fruit recommendation from fresh and canned fruit only also decreased, from 13.5% in 2011–12 to 7.8% in 2023.
Over this period, the proportion of people who met the fruit recommendation from fresh and canned fruit approximately halved for:
- males aged 18 years and over (from 11.1% to 5.4%)
- females aged 2 years and over (from 12.3% to 5.9%).
The proportion of male children aged 2–17 years who met the fruit recommendation from fresh and canned fruit has remained stable between 2011–12 and 2023 (27.9% and 25.8%).
People may consume fruit and vegetable drinks that contain added sugar and report these beverages as 100% fruit and vegetable juices. Fruit and vegetable drinks are considered discretionary and are not included in this analysis. Care is recommended when interpreting consumption over time. For more information, see IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods.
Daily consumption and types of fruit
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on a single day.
Types of fruit
More than half (58.2%) of all fruit consumed came from fresh or canned fruit in 2023, with an additional 35.7% from fruit juice and 6.1% from dried fruit. This only included serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages.
The contribution of fresh or canned fruit, fruit juice and dried fruit to overall fruit consumption varied by age. Children aged 12–17 years had a:
- lower contribution from fresh and canned fruit (51.7%) than children aged 2–4 years (63.8%) and 5–11 years (62.2%)
- similar contribution from fresh and canned fruit and fruit juice (51.7% and 44.5%).
| 2–4 years (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | 5–11 years (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | 12–17 years (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh/canned fruit | 63.8 | 54.9 | 72.7 | 62.2 | 59.1 | 65.3 | 51.7 | 45.6 | 57.8 |
| Fruit juice | 31.4 | 19.5 | 43.3 | 35.5 | 30.4 | 40.6 | 44.5 | 39.0 | 50.0 |
| Dried fruit | 4.8 | 2.1 | 7.5 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 5.7 |
Proportion of fruit(a) by type and age, children aged 2–17 years, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","95% confidence interval","5\u201311 years","95% confidence interval","12\u201317 years","95% confidence interval"]
[["Fresh\/canned fruit","Fruit juice","Dried fruit"],[[63.8],[31.4],[4.8]],[[54.9,72.7],[19.5,43.3],[2.1,7.5]],[[62.2],[35.5],[2.4]],[[59.1,65.3],[30.4,40.6],[1.5,3.3]],[[51.7],[44.5],[3.9]],[[45.6,57.8],[39,50],[2.1,5.7]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Type of fruit","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption only from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Males and females had a similar contribution to fruit consumption from all types of fruit in all age groups, except for people aged 18–29 years. Fruit juice contributed to over half (54.5%) of fruit consumption for males aged 18–29 years, which was higher than the proportion for:
- females in all adult age groups (between 29.0% and 36.7%)
- any other male adult age group (between 30.9% and 34.0%).
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–29 | 54.5 | 40.0 | 69.0 | 36.7 | 26.9 | 46.5 |
| 30–49 | 33.9 | 29.8 | 38.0 | 31.1 | 25.6 | 36.6 |
| 50–64 | 30.9 | 21.8 | 40.0 | 36 | 24.8 | 47.2 |
| 65–74 | 33.2 | 25.0 | 41.4 | 30.7 | 24.1 | 37.3 |
| 75 years and over | 31.7 | 23.5 | 39.9 | 29 | 21.8 | 36.2 |
Proportion of total fruit from fruit juice(a), by age and sex, adults aged 18 years and over, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[54.5],[33.9],[30.9],[33.2],[31.7]],[[40,69],[29.8,38],[21.8,40],[25,41.4],[23.5,39.9]],[[36.7],[31.1],[36],[30.7],[29]],[[26.9,46.5],[25.6,36.6],[24.8,47.2],[24.1,37.3],[21.8,36.2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption only from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Since 2011–12, the contribution to fruit consumption from:
- fresh and canned fruit has decreased (from 63.5% to 58.2%)
- fruit juice has increased (from 26.7% to 35.7%)
- dried fruit has decreased (from 9.8% to 6.1%).
Most (over 90%) of all fruit consumed in 2023 either came from Fruit products and dishes (59.1%) and Non-alcoholic beverages (which includes fruit juice) (34.5%).
The highest contributors to fruit came from:
- Orange juice and orange juice blends (15.9%)
- Apples (14.1%)
- Bananas (11.2%)
- Apple juice and apple juice blends (7.7%)
- Melon (6.5%).
When compared to adults aged 18 years and over, children aged 2–17 years had a lower contribution to fruit consumption from bananas (7.8% compared to 12.5%) and a higher contribution from:
- apples (18.5% compared to 12.4%)
- melon (9.2% compared to 5.5%)
- apple juice (13.9% compared to 5.3%).
The Guidelines recommend that fruit juice and dried fruit can occasionally count towards a serve of fruit as substitutes for fresh fruit. This is because fruit juice often lacks dietary fibre and is high in acidity, and dried fruit can be more energy dense[2].
When daily consumption of fruit juice and dried fruit is limited to 1 serve each, people aged 2 and over consumed an average of 0.9 serves of fruit in 2023. This was less than the average daily 1.2 serves consumed if all serves of fruit were included. Average daily serves of fruit decreased by 0.4 serves for children and 0.3 serves for adults when serves of fruit juice and dried fruit were limited to 1 serve per day.
Discretionary serves of fruit
If fruit from discretionary foods and beverages were included, average daily serves of fruit would increase slightly from 1.2 serves to 1.3 serves.
This additional discretionary fruit mostly came from Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (22.9%) and Cakes, muffins, scones and cake-type desserts (19.2%).
Grains and cereals
Grain and cereal foods are an important source of carbohydrates and several essential micronutrients such as the B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus. Eating grains and cereals also may help to reduce the risk of developing certain diseases such as coronary heart disease and colon cancer[2].
Recommended serves
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommendations are shown below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 4 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 4.5 |
| Females (serves/day) | 4 | 4 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3.5 | 3 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve of grains and cereals is equivalent to 500 kJ. Examples of a standard serve are shown below.
Image
Description
A standard serve of grains and cereals is 500kJ. Examples of this include one slice of bread (40 g), half a medium roll or flat bread (40 g), half a cup of cooked rice, pasta, or porridge (75-120 g), two-thirds of a cup of wheat cereal flakes (30 g) or 1 small scone (35 g).
Usual consumption of grains and cereals
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like cakes and muffins.
Over a quarter (27.8%) of people aged 2 years and over consumed the minimum recommended serves of grains and cereals on a usual basis in 2023.
Overall, males were more likely to meet their grains and cereals recommendation than females (32.2% compared to 23.4%).
- Males were more likely to meet the recommendation than females for those aged 12–17 years, 18–29 years and 30–49 years.
- Females were more likely to meet the recommendation than males for those aged 65–74 years and 75 years and over.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 32.8 | 21.6 | 44.0 | 19.6 | 11.2 | 28.0 |
| 5–11 | 38.6 | 29.6 | 47.6 | 38.7 | 29.8 | 47.6 |
| 12–17 | 34.2 | 26.5 | 41.9 | 6.2 | 2.7 | 9.7 |
| 18–29 | 38.3 | 30.2 | 46.4 | 8.5 | 4.7 | 12.3 |
| 30–49 | 31.9 | 25.9 | 37.9 | 8.6 | 5.9 | 11.3 |
| 50–64 | 23.5 | 17.2 | 29.8 | 32.1 | 25.1 | 39.1 |
| 65–74 | 24.2 | 18.4 | 30.0 | 44.5 | 36.8 | 52.2 |
| 75 years and over | 39.8 | 32.7 | 46.9 | 52.3 | 45.7 | 58.9 |
Proportion of people who met the grains and cereals recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[32.8],[38.6],[34.2],[38.3],[31.9],[23.5],[24.2],[39.8]],[[21.6,44],[29.6,47.6],[26.5,41.9],[30.2,46.4],[25.9,37.9],[17.2,29.8],[18.4,30],[32.7,46.9]],[[19.6],[38.7],[6.2],[8.5],[8.6],[32.1],[44.5],[52.3]],[[11.2,28],[29.8,47.6],[2.7,9.7],[4.7,12.3],[5.9,11.3],[25.1,39.1],[36.8,52.2],[45.7,58.9]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"60","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
On average, males consumed 5.0 serves/day of grains and cereals and females consumed 3.7 serves/day. Males consumed more grains and cereals than females in every age group.
A small proportion of females aged between 12–17 years (6.2%), 18–29 years (8.5%) and 30–49 years (8.6%) met their grains and cereals recommendation. The recommendation for females in these age groups is at least 2 more serves than females in other age groups, yet their average usual consumption was only 0.2–0.9 serves/day higher.
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 5–11 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| 12–17 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 18–29 | 5.6 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 30–49 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 50–64 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| 65–74 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 3.5 |
| 75 years and over | 4.2 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
Average usual consumption of grains and cereals(a) and recommendation(b), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[3.6],[4.2],[5.8],[5.6],[5.2],[4.8],[4.4],[4.2]],[[3.2],[3.8],[4.1],[4],[4],[3.5],[3.4],[3.2]],[[4],[4.5],[6.5],[6],[6],[6],[5.5],[4.5]],[[4],[4],[6.5],[6],[6],[4],[3.5],[3]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children 2–17 years
Three in ten (29.7%) children aged 2–17 years met their grains and cereals recommendation.
Average usual consumption was higher for older children than younger children.
- Among males, children aged 2–4 years consumed 3.6 serves/day compared to 5.8 serves/day for those aged 12–17 years.
- Among females, children aged 2–4 years consumed 3.2 serves/day compared to 4.1 serves/day for those aged 12–17 years.
Males aged 12–17 years (43.8%) were more likely to consume 6 or more serves/day than those aged 2–4 years (2.2%) and 5–11 years (7.2%). This meant a similar proportion of male children in different age groups met the recommendation (ranging between 32.8% to 38.6%), despite older age groups having a higher recommendation.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| 1 to <2 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| 2 to <3 | 26.0 | 12.7 | 4.9 |
| 3 to <4 | 36.1 | 31.0 | 10.9 |
| 4 to <5 | 22.3 | 30.7 | 17.8 |
| 5 to <6 | 8.2 | 17.3 | 20.5 |
| 6 to <7 | 1.9 | 5.6 | 18.2 |
| 7 to <8 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 12.2 |
| 8 or more | 0.0 | 0.3 | 13.4 |
Proportion of male children, by usual consumption of grains and cereals(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 1","1 to <2","2 to <3","3 to <4","4 to <5","5 to <6","6 to <7","7 to <8","8 or more"],[[0.1],[5],[26],[36.1],[22.3],[8.2],[1.9],[0.3],[0]],[[0],[1.3],[12.7],[31],[30.7],[17.3],[5.6],[1.3],[0.3]],[[0.4],[1.7],[4.9],[10.9],[17.8],[20.5],[18.2],[12.2],[13.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Average usual consumption was higher for females aged 5–11 years than for those aged 2–4 years (3.8 serves/day compared to 3.2 serves/day), and a higher proportion of 5–11-year-olds met the recommendation (4 serves/day). The recommendation then increased by 2.5 serves for females aged 12–17 years, however, their average consumption was similar to that of females aged 5–11 years (4.1 serves/day and 3.8 serves/day).
The proportion of female children who consumed enough grains and cereals was:
- 19.6% for 2–4 years, with an additional 33.6% within 1 serve below their recommendation
- 38.7% for 5–11 years, with an additional 35.5% within 1 serve below their recommendation
- 6.2% for 12–17 years, with an additional 19.8% within 1.5 serves below their recommendation.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| 1 to <2 | 10.7 | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| 2 to <3 | 35.7 | 22.0 | 16.0 |
| 3 to <4 | 33.6 | 35.5 | 26.8 |
| 4 to <5 | 15.4 | 25.3 | 25.1 |
| 5 to <6 | 3.5 | 10.1 | 15.5 |
| 6 to <7 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 7.1 |
| 7 to <8 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| 8 or more | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
Proportion of female children, by usual consumption of grains and cereals(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 1","1 to <2","2 to <3","3 to <4","4 to <5","5 to <6","6 to <7","7 to <8","8 or more"],[[0.4],[10.7],[35.7],[33.6],[15.4],[3.5],[0.6],[0],[0]],[[0.1],[3.7],[22],[35.5],[25.3],[10.1],[2.7],[0.5],[0.1]],[[1],[5.1],[16],[26.8],[25.1],[15.5],[7.1],[2.5],[0.9]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Adults aged 18 years and over
Over a quarter (27.3%) of adults aged 18 years and over met their grains and cereals recommendation.
Average usual consumption of grains and cereals decreased with age:
- among males, from 5.6 serves/day for those aged 18–29 years to 4.2 serves/day for those aged 75 years and over
- among females, from 4.0 serves/day for those aged 18–29 years to 3.2 serves/day for those aged 75 years and over.
Males aged 18–29 years and 75 years and over were similarly likely to meet their recommendation (38.3% and 39.8%), even though the recommendation for males aged 18–29 years (6 serves/day) was higher than for males aged 75 years and over (4.5 serves/day).
The proportion of females who met the recommendation increased with age, from 8.5% of females aged 18–29 years to 52.3% of those aged 75 years and over. This reflects the lower recommendation for older adult females aged 50 years and over (between 3–4 serves/day), compared to the amount recommended for younger adult females (6 serves/day).
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| 1 to <2 | 3.5 | 8.4 |
| 2 to <3 | 9.2 | 22.1 |
| 3 to <4 | 17.2 | 28.7 |
| 4 to <5 | 21.7 | 22.0 |
| 5 to <6 | 19.8 | 11.3 |
| 6 to <7 | 13.7 | 4.3 |
| 7 to <8 | 7.8 | 1.3 |
| 8 or more | 6.5 | 0.4 |
Proportion of adults aged 18 years and over, by usual consumption of grains and cereals(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 1","1 to <2","2 to <3","3 to <4","4 to <5","5 to <6","6 to <7","7 to <8","8 or more"],[[0.7],[3.5],[9.2],[17.2],[21.7],[19.8],[13.7],[7.8],[6.5]],[[1.5],[8.4],[22.1],[28.7],[22],[11.3],[4.3],[1.3],[0.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"30","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Comparison to 2011–12
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the proportion of people aged 2 years and over who met their recommendation for grains and cereals remained similar (30.4% and 27.8%). Over this time the proportion decreased for:
- males aged 65–74 years (from 33.5% to 24.2%) and 75 years and over (from 51.6% to 39.8%)
- females aged 75 years and over (from 64.1% to 52.3%).
Decreases among these age groups reflect less consumption of grains and cereals, with the average usual serves for these groups since 2011–12 decreasing by around half a serve.
Daily consumption and types of grains and cereals
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on a single day.
Wholegrain or high fibre varieties
The Guidelines recommend that people get at least two-thirds of their grain and cereal foods from wholegrain or high fibre varieties[2].
Most (76.1%) of all grains and cereals consumed came from refined or low fibre varieties. The remaining 23.9% came from wholegrain or high fibre varieties.
The proportion of grains and cereals from wholegrain or high fibre grains was similar for males and females (23.6% and 24.3%).
People aged 75 years and over had the highest proportion of grains and cereals serves from wholegrain or high fibre grains (42.4%), compared with other age groups.
| Wholegrain/higher fibre (%) | Refined grain/lower fibre (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 29.1 | 70.9 |
| 5–11 | 20.6 | 79.4 |
| 12–17 | 19.5 | 80.5 |
| 18–29 | 17.0 | 83.0 |
| 30–49 | 20.7 | 79.3 |
| 50–64 | 28.3 | 71.7 |
| 65–74 | 35.3 | 64.7 |
| 75 years and over | 42.4 | 57.6 |
Proportion of grains and cereals(a), by type and age, 2023
["","Wholegrain\/higher fibre","Refined grain\/lower fibre"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[29.1],[20.6],[19.5],[17],[20.7],[28.3],[35.3],[42.4]],[[70.9],[79.4],[80.5],[83],[79.3],[71.7],[64.7],[57.6]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Wholegrain or high fibre varieties contributed less to the overall consumption of grains and cereals in 2023 than in 2011–12 (23.9% compared to 34.2%). This suggests a shift towards people choosing refined or low fibre varieties of grains and cereals. Similarly, the apparent consumption of grains and cereals serves from wholegrain and high fibre varieties as captured in retail sales data has trended downwards since 2018–19.
Type of grains and cereals consumed
People consumed a daily average of 4.4 serves of grains and cereals from non-discretionary sources in 2023. The leading contributors include:
- 48.0% from bread
- 33.5% from grains
- 9.6% from breakfast cereals and oats
- 5.2% from flour in other foods.
Discretionary serves of grains and cereals
If foods from discretionary sources were included, average daily serves of grains and cereals would increase from 4.4 serves to 5.6 serves. The additional discretionary grains and cereals serves came from:
- Cereal-based mixed dishes (25.4%) which includes ham and cheese sandwiches
- Sweet biscuits (13.9%)
- Pastries (13.8%).
The proportion of grains and cereals serves that came from discretionary foods was:
- similar for males and females (21.7% and 22.1%)
- higher for children than adults (28.9% compared to 19.9%)
- highest for children aged 5–11 years (32.4%).
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the proportion of discretionary grain and cereals serves increased (from 18.2% to 21.9%). The proportion increased for every age group except for those aged 12–17 years, 18–29 years and 30–49 years where the proportion remained similar.
Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans
The lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans food group is an important source of dietary protein and provides a wide range of nutrients like iodine, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s). Legumes and beans provide many of the same nutrients as lean meat, poultry, fish and eggs, and are an important food for people who follow vegetarian and vegan diets[2].
In this analysis, the full name of this food group has been abbreviated to ‘lean meat and alternatives’ for ease of reading.
Only unprocessed meats with a fat content of less than 10% have been included in this analysis.
Recommended serves
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommendations are shown below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Females (serves/day) | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve of lean meat and alternatives is equivalent to 500-600 kJ. Examples of a standard serve are shown below.
Image
Description
A standard serve of lean meats and alternatives is about 500-600 kJ. Examples of this include 65 g of cooked lean red meat, 80 g of cooked lean poultry, one small can of fish, 2 large eggs, one cup of cooked or canned legumes or beans, 170 g of tofu or 30 g of nuts.
Usual consumption of lean meat and alternatives
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like bacon and quiches.
One in five (20.6%) people aged 2 years and over consumed the minimum recommended serves of lean meat and alternatives on a usual basis in 2023.
The proportion of people who met the recommendation was higher for:
- males than females (24.0% compared to 17.1%)
- adults aged 18 years and over than children aged 2–17 years (22.5% compared to 13.2%).
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 37.4 | 25.9 | 48.9 | 28.3 | 17.1 | 39.5 |
| 5–11(b) | 5.1 | 0.5 | 9.7 | 2.9 | ||
| 12–17 | 23.1 | 16.6 | 29.6 | 5.8 | 1.9 | 9.7 |
| 18–29 | 18.2 | 11.1 | 25.3 | 9.4 | 4.7 | 14.1 |
| 30–49 | 23.2 | 17.6 | 28.8 | 13.6 | 9.9 | 17.3 |
| 50–64 | 36.1 | 29.5 | 42.7 | 32.4 | 26.8 | 38.0 |
| 65–74 | 32.2 | 23.5 | 40.9 | 26.4 | 19.5 | 33.3 |
| 75 years and over | 19.0 | 11.1 | 26.9 | 16.5 | 10.0 | 23.0 |
Proportion of people who met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311(b)","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[37.4],[5.1],[23.1],[18.2],[23.2],[36.1],[32.2],[19]],[[25.9,48.9],[0.5,9.7],[16.6,29.6],[11.1,25.3],[17.6,28.8],[29.5,42.7],[23.5,40.9],[11.1,26.9]],[[28.3],[2.9],[5.8],[9.4],[13.6],[32.4],[26.4],[16.5]],[[17.1,39.5],[null],[1.9,9.7],[4.7,14.1],[9.9,17.3],[26.8,38],[19.5,33.3],[10,23]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"50","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘Females’ has high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
On average, males consumed 2.1 serves/day, and females consumed 1.6 serves/day on a usual basis. Males consumed more lean meat and alternatives than females in all age groups from 12 years and over.
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 5–11 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 12–17 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 18–29 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| 30–49 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| 50–64 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| 65–74 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| 75 years and over | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
Average usual consumption of lean meat and alternatives(a) and recommendation(b), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[0.9],[1.1],[2],[2.3],[2.4],[2.3],[2.2],[1.9]],[[0.8],[1],[1.5],[1.6],[1.8],[1.7],[1.6],[1.4]],[[1],[2],[2.5],[3],[3],[2.5],[2.5],[2.5]],[[1],[2],[2.5],[2.5],[2.5],[2],[2],[2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children aged 2–17 years
More than one in ten (13.2%) children met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation in 2023.
Males aged 12–17 years (17.6%) were more likely to meet the lean meat and alternatives recommendation than females (8.5%), despite having the same recommendation (2.5 serves/day).
Among males, children aged 5–11 years were less likely to consume enough lean meat and alternatives (5.1%) than other children. Males in this age group have a similar median consumption to those aged 2–4 years (1.0 and 0.9 serves/day), yet their recommendation is higher (2 serves/day compared to 1 serves/day).
For males aged 5–11 years, the median consumption (1.0 serve/day) was half their recommendation (2 serves/day).
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5(b) | 15.1 | 11.5 | 1.1 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0(c) | 47.4 | 36.3 | 9.0 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 28.2 | 32.8 | 21.2 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 7.8 | 14.3 | 25.8 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5(c) | 1.2 | 4.1 | 19.9 |
| ≥2.5 to <3.0(c)(d) | 0.2 | 0.8 | 12.7 |
| 3.0 or more(c)(d) | 0.0 | 0.1 | 10.3 |
Proportion of male children, by usual consumption of lean meat and alternatives(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 0.5(b)","\u22650.5 to <1.0(c)","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <2.5(c)","\u22652.5 to <3.0(c)(d)","3.0 or more(c)(d)"],[[15.1],[47.4],[28.2],[7.8],[1.2],[0.2],[0]],[[11.5],[36.3],[32.8],[14.3],[4.1],[0.8],[0.1]],[[1.1],[9],[21.2],[25.8],[19.9],[12.7],[10.3]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘12–17 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘2–4 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘5–11 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
The proportion of females aged 2–4 years who met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation (28.3%) was higher than the proportion of females aged 5–11 years (2.9%) and 12–17 years (5.8%).
Median consumption increased across age for female children, from 0.8 serves/day for females aged 2–4 years to 1.4 serves/day for females aged 12–17 years. The median for females aged 5–11 years (1.0 serve/day) and 12–17 years (1.4 serves/day) was at least 1 serve/day below their recommendation.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5(b) | 18.6 | 11.6 | 3.8 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0(b) | 53.1 | 41.3 | 20.1 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 23.3 | 32.8 | 32.9 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0(b) | 4.4 | 11.4 | 25.1 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5(b) | 0.5 | 2.4 | 12.3 |
| 2.5 or more(c) | 0.0 | 0.5 | 5.8 |
Proportion of female children, by usual consumption of lean meat and alternatives(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 0.5(b)","\u22650.5 to <1.0(b)","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0(b)","\u22652.0 to <2.5(b)","2.5 or more(c)"],[[18.6],[53.1],[23.3],[4.4],[0.5],[0]],[[11.6],[41.3],[32.8],[11.4],[2.4],[0.5]],[[3.8],[20.1],[32.9],[25.1],[12.3],[5.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘2–4 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘5–11 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
Adults aged 18 years and over
Around one in four (22.5%) adults met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation in 2023.
The proportion of adults who met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation was higher for males than females among those aged:
- 18–29 years (18.2% compared to 9.4%)
- 30–49 years (23.2% compared to 13.6%).
Median usual consumption was higher for males aged 18–29 years (2.2 serves/day) and 30–49 years (2.3 serves/day) than females in the same age groups (1.6 and 1.7 serves/day). Males in these age groups were generally more likely to meet the recommendation than females, despite having a higher recommendation.
| Males, median (serves/day) | Females, median (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–29 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 30–49 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 50–64 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2 |
| 65–74 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2 |
| 75 years and over | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2 |
Usual median consumption of lean meat and alternatives(a) and recommendation(b) by age and sex, adults aged 18 years and over, 2023
["","Males, median","Females, median","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[2.2],[2.3],[2.2],[2.1],[1.8]],[[1.6],[1.7],[1.7],[1.6],[1.4]],[[3],[3],[2.5],[2.5],[2.5]],[[2.5],[2.5],[2],[2],[2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Females aged 50–64 years (32.4%) and 65–74 years (26.4%) were more likely to meet the lean meat and alternatives recommendation than other adult females. Females in these age groups have:
- a lower recommendation (2 serves/day) than younger adult females (2.5 serves day), yet their median consumption is similar (between 1.6 and 1.7 serves/day)
- the same recommendation as females aged 75 years and over (2 serves day) but a higher median consumption (1.6 and 1.7 serves/day compared to 1.4 serves/day).
Comparison to 2011–12
The proportion of people who met the lean meat and alternatives recommendation has increased over the past decade from 14.7% in 2011–12 to 20.6% in 2023. The proportion of people who met the recommendation remained similar for most age and sex groups over this period, but increased among:
- male children aged 12–17 years (from 9.0% to 23.1%)
- female children aged 12–17 years (from 0.6% to 5.8%)
- female adults aged 30–49 years (from 5.5% to 13.6%).
For children aged 12–17 years, the shift was evident in the decrease in the proportion of children in this age group who consumed 1.0 to less than 1.5 serves/day and increase in the proportion who consumed between 2.5 and 3.0 serves/day.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1.0(b)(c) | -8.3 | -6.6 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | -8.9 | -11.4 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0(b)(c) | -1.4 | 5.1 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5(b) | 4.6 | 7.7 |
| ≥2.5 to <3.0 | 6.3 | 3.8 |
| ≥3.0 to <3.5(c) | 4.1 | 1.0 |
| ≥3.5 to <4.0(c) | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| 4.0 or more(b)(c) | 1.4 | 0.1 |
Percentage point change in range of usual consumption of lean meat and alternatives(a), children aged 12–17 years by sex, 2011–12 and 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 1.0(b)(c)","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0(b)(c)","\u22652.0 to <2.5(b)","\u22652.5 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <3.5(c)","\u22653.5 to <4.0(c)","4.0 or more(b)(c)"],[[-8.3],[-8.9],[-1.4],[4.6],[6.3],[4.1],[2.1],[1.4]],[[-6.6],[-11.4],[5.1],[7.7],[3.8],[1],[0.2],[0.1]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The apparent difference between 2011–12 and 2023 for ‘Males’ is not statistically significant.
- The apparent difference between 2011–12 and 2023 for ‘Females’ is not statistically significant.
Daily consumption and types of lean meat and alternatives
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on one day of dietary information.
Types of lean meat and alternatives
The contribution to lean meat and alternatives consumption in 2023 was:
- 33.9% from unprocessed lean red meats (including beef, veal, lamb, pork and kangaroo)
- 30.1% from unprocessed lean poultry
- 12.8% from nuts and seeds
- 9.8% from fish and seafood
- 8.6% from eggs
- 4.8% from legumes (including tofu).
Among children, males had a higher contribution to lean meat and alternatives consumption from fish and seafood than females (9.8% compared to 6.6%).
Adult males had a higher contribution to lean meat and alternatives consumption than adult females from:
- lean red meats (35.8% compared to 32.3%)
- lean poultry (30.3% compared to 27.0%).
Whereas female adults had a higher contribution to lean meat and alternatives consumption than adult males from:
- fish and seafood (11.9% compared to 8.5%)
- legumes (5.8% compared to 4.2%).
| Lean red meat (%) | Poultry (%) | Nuts and seeds (%) | Fish and seafood (%) | Eggs (%) | Legumes (as a meat alternative) (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. 2–17 years | 32.5 | 35.5 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 4.1 |
| Females, 2–17 years | 30.5 | 41.2 | 8.6 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 4.4 |
| Males, 18 years and over | 35.8 | 30.3 | 13.0 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 4.2 |
| Females, 18 years and over | 32.3 | 27.0 | 13.9 | 11.9 | 9.0 | 5.8 |
Proportion of lean meat and alternatives(a) by type of food and age and sex, 2023
["","Lean red meat","Poultry","Nuts and seeds","Fish and seafood","Eggs","Legumes (as a meat alternative)"]
[["Males. 2\u201317 years","Females, 2\u201317 years","Males, 18 years and over","Females, 18 years and over"],[[32.5],[30.5],[35.8],[32.3]],[[35.5],[41.2],[30.3],[27]],[[9.3],[8.6],[13],[13.9]],[[9.8],[6.6],[8.5],[11.9]],[[8.9],[8.7],[8.2],[9]],[[4.1],[4.4],[4.2],[5.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group and sex","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Consumption of fish and seafood is linked to a reduced risk of numerous health conditions, including dementia, cardiovascular disease, stroke and age-related macular degeneration[2]. In 2023, 6.8% of people aged 2 years and over consumed at least one serve of fish and seafood from non-discretionary sources on the day before their interview.
Vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns
People who describe themselves as vegetarian and vegan may have a higher reliance on other types of foods (such as legumes and nuts) than lean red meats and poultry to meet their recommendation. Legumes also contribute to vegetables, legumes and beans food group consumption.
People aged 15 years and over who were vegetarian or vegan consumed less serves of lean meat and alternatives on average (1.3 serves) than people who were not vegetarian or vegan (2.0 serves).
Additionally, the contribution to lean meat and alternatives consumption for people who were vegetarian or vegan compared to people who were not was higher for:
- legumes (36.0% compared to 3.7%)
- nuts and seeds (36.3% compared to 12.4%).
Non-lean and processed meats
The Guidelines recommend people limit their meat consumption to lean and unprocessed types of meat. Processed meats (like ham and bacon) are not included in the lean meat and alternatives analysis above due to their high sodium content and lower nutritional value[2]. Non-lean meats are also not included as their fat content is greater than 10%. The data below includes non-lean and processed meats found in non-discretionary and discretionary foods.
In 2023, the average daily consumption of:
- non-lean meat was 0.4. serves
- processed meat was 0.4 serves.
The average daily serves of non-lean meat was:
- higher for adult males than adult females (0.6 serves compared to 0.4 serves)
- lowest among children aged 2–4 years (0.2 serves)
- highest among people aged 12–17 years, 18–29 years and 30–49 years (between 0.5 and 0.6 serves).
The average daily serves of processed meat for persons aged 2 years and over was:
- higher for males than females (0.5 serves compared to 0.3 serves)
- lowest among children aged 2–4 years (0.2 serves)
- highest among people aged 5–11 years, 12–17 years, 18–29 years and 30–49 years (between 0.4 and 0.5 serves).
If non-lean and processed meats were included, average daily serves of red meat and poultry would increase from 1.3 serves to 1.8 serves.
| Uprocessed, lean (serves) | Unprocessed, non-lean (serves) | Processed, lean and non lean (serves) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| 5–11 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| 12–17 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| 18–29 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| 30–49 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| 50–64 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| 65–74 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| 75 years and over | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Average daily consumption of meat and poultry(a) by whether lean and processed by age, 2023
["","Uprocessed, lean","Unprocessed, non-lean","Processed, lean and non lean"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[0.5],[0.8],[1.3],[1.5],[1.5],[1.3],[1.1],[1]],[[0],[0.1],[0.3],[0.3],[0.2],[0.2],[0.2],[0.2]],[[0.2],[0.4],[0.5],[0.4],[0.4],[0.3],[0.3],[0.3]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves)","table_units":"(serves)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Red meats
The Guidelines recommend people manage their consumption of lean red meat, as consumption of over 120 g per day has been associated with potential health risks, such as colorectal and renal cancer[7].
More than one in ten (12.0%) people aged 2 years and over consumed more than 120 g of lean, unprocessed red meat from non-discretionary foods and beverages on the day before interview. The proportion was:
- higher for adults than children (13.6% compared to 5.4%)
- higher for males than females (15.2% compared to 8.8%).
People consumed an average of 40.4 g of lean, unprocessed red meat per day, below the maximum of 120 g.
Red meat can also come in non-lean and processed varieties, as well as from discretionary foods. When this is included, the:
- average daily amount of red meat consumed would increase to 76.1 g
- proportion of people who consumed more than 120 g of red meat would increase to 24.0%.
| Lean and unprocessed red meat from non-discretionary foods (g) | All other types of red meat (g) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 14.3 | 16.6 |
| 5–11 | 23.4 | 33.9 |
| 12–17 | 34.0 | 43.2 |
| 18–29 | 46.9 | 42.8 |
| 30–49 | 46.0 | 35.9 |
| 50–64 | 43.5 | 34.6 |
| 65–74 | 40.3 | 31.5 |
| 75 years and over | 36.7 | 30.7 |
Average grams of red meat consumed per day(a) by age, 2023
["","Lean and unprocessed red meat from non-discretionary foods","All other types of red meat"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[14.3],[23.4],[34],[46.9],[46],[43.5],[40.3],[36.7]],[[16.6],[33.9],[43.2],[42.8],[35.9],[34.6],[31.5],[30.7]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Grams","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(g)","table_units":"(g)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"90","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives
Milk, cheese and yoghurt are important sources of calcium, protein, vitamins and other minerals[2]. Almost two-thirds (63.7%) of people aged 2 years and over had an inadequate calcium intake from food and beverages in 2023.
In this analysis, the full name of this food group has been abbreviated to ‘dairy and alternatives’ for ease of reading.
Only dairy alternatives (such as soy or rice drinks) that are calcium-enriched are included in this food group[2].
Recommended serves
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommendations are shown below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 1.5 | 2 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Females (serves/day) | 1.5 | 2 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve of dairy and alternatives is equivalent to 500-600 kJ. Examples of a standard serve are shown below.
Image
Description
A standard serve of dairy and alternatives is about 500-600kJ. Examples of this include one cup of milk, 2 slices of hard cheese (40 g), half a cup of ricotta cheese, three-quarters of a cup of yoghurt or 1 cup of soy milk.
Usual consumption of dairy and alternatives
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like ice cream.
One in fourteen (7.2%) people aged 2 years and over consumed the minimum recommended serves of dairy and alternatives on a usual basis in 2023. The proportion of people who met the recommendation was:
- higher for males than females (11.1% compared to 3.2%)
- higher for children aged 2–4 years than any other age group (45.6% for males and 33.1% for females).
The proportion of people who consumed enough dairy and alternatives was generally low across age from 5 years and over.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 45.6 | 36.0 | 55.2 | 33.1 | 22.6 | 43.6 |
| 5–11 | 13.6 | 7.6 | 19.6 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 11.9 |
| 12–17(b) | 4.5 | 1.4 | 7.6 | 0.1 | ||
| 18–29 | 10.5 | 6.4 | 14.6 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 30–49 | 10.9 | 8.3 | 13.5 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 5.4 |
| 50–64 | 12.3 | 8.6 | 16.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| 65–74(b) | 5.6 | 3.5 | 7.7 | 0.3 | ||
| 75 years and over(b) | 3.2 | 0.7 | 5.7 | 0.3 |
Proportion of people who met the dairy and alternatives recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317(b)","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374(b)","75 years and over(b)"],[[45.6],[13.6],[4.5],[10.5],[10.9],[12.3],[5.6],[3.2]],[[36,55.2],[7.6,19.6],[1.4,7.6],[6.4,14.6],[8.3,13.5],[8.6,16],[3.5,7.7],[0.7,5.7]],[[33.1],[7.8],[0.1],[2],[3.5],[0.2],[0.3],[0.3]],[[22.6,43.6],[3.7,11.9],[null],[0.5,3.5],[1.6,5.4],[0,0.4],[null],[null]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘Females’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
The average usual consumption of dairy and alternatives was:
- higher for males than females (1.5 serves/day compared to 1.2 serves/day)
- among males, stable for children and adults (1.5 serves/day)
- among females, lower for children than adults (1.1 serves/day compared to 1.3 serves/day).
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 5–11 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 12–17 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 18–29 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 30–49 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 50–64 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| 65–74 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| 75 years and over | 1.6 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Average usual consumption of dairy and alternatives(a) and recommendation(b), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.5],[1.4],[1.6],[1.4],[1.4],[1.5],[1.5],[1.6]],[[1.3],[1.2],[1],[1.1],[1.2],[1.3],[1.5],[1.5]],[[1.5],[2],[3.5],[2.5],[2.5],[2.5],[3],[3.5]],[[1.5],[2],[3.5],[2.5],[2.5],[4],[4],[4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children aged 2–17 years
Over one in ten (12.7%) children aged 2–17 years met the dairy and alternatives recommendation.
Although male and female children have the same recommendation for each age group, males were more likely to meet the dairy and alternatives recommendation than females (15.9% compared to 9.4%).
Children aged 2–4 years had the highest proportion of those who met the dairy and alternatives recommendation of any child age group (45.6% for males and 33.1% for females).
As the recommended number of serves of dairy and alternatives progressively increases with age, the proportion of children who met the recommendation decreased with age. Almost all children aged 12–17 years did not meet the recommendation (95.5% for males and 99.9% for females).
The average usual consumption for children aged:
- 5–11 years was 1.4 serves/day for males and 1.2 serves/day for females, below the recommended 2 serves/day
- 12–17 years was 1.6 serves/day for males and 1.0 serve/day for females, below the recommended 3.5 serves/day.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5 | 2.0 | 4.3 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 18.5 | 26.7 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 33.9 | 35.9 |
| 1.5 or more(b) | 45.6 | 33.1 |
Proportion of children aged 2–4 years, by usual consumption of dairy and alternatives(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 0.5","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","1.5 or more(b)"],[[2],[18.5],[33.9],[45.6]],[[4.3],[26.7],[35.9],[33.1]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The recommended number of serves of dairy and alternatives for children aged 2–4 years is 1.5 serves/day.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5 | 4.8 | 8.4 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 23.5 | 31.9 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 34.9 | 34.2 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 23.1 | 17.7 |
| 2.0 or more(b) | 13.6 | 7.8 |
Proportion of children aged 5–11 years, by usual consumption of dairy and alternatives(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 0.5","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","2.0 or more(b)"],[[4.8],[23.5],[34.9],[23.1],[13.6]],[[8.4],[31.9],[34.2],[17.7],[7.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The recommended number of serves of dairy and alternatives for children aged 5–11 years is 2 serves/day.
| Males (%) | Females (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5 | 11.5 | 18.1 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 18.0 | 39.0 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 21.4 | 26.0 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 18.7 | 11.3 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5 | 13.2 | 3.9 |
| ≥2.5 to <3.0 | 8.3 | 1.2 |
| ≥3.0 to <3.5 | 4.5 | 0.4 |
| 3.5 or more(b) | 4.5 | 0.1 |
Proportion of children aged 12–17 years, by usual consumption of dairy and alternatives(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","Females"]
[["Less than 0.5","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <2.5","\u22652.5 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <3.5","3.5 or more(b)"],[[11.5],[18],[21.4],[18.7],[13.2],[8.3],[4.5],[4.5]],[[18.1],[39],[26],[11.3],[3.9],[1.2],[0.4],[0.1]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"40","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The recommended number of serves of dairy and alternatives for children aged 12–17 years is 3.5 serves/day.
Adults aged 18 years and over
Around one in twenty (5.8%) adults aged 18 years and over met the dairy and alternatives recommendation. Males were more likely to meet their recommendation than females (9.8% compared to 1.7%).
The proportion of males meeting their recommendation decreased with age, from 10.5% for those aged 18–29 years to 3.2% for those 75 years and over. Average usual consumption remained similar across male age groups (ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 serves/day), despite higher recommendations for older adult age groups.
Among females, the proportion of those meeting their recommendation was less than 5% across all adult age groups. Average usual consumption increased slightly with age, from 1.1 serves/day for those aged 18–29 years to 1.5 serves/day for those aged 75 years and over.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5 | 10.9 | 8.7 | 13.1 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 21.6 | 19.9 | 23.3 | 31.1 | 28.6 | 33.6 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 24.7 | 22.4 | 27.0 | 31.2 | 28.5 | 33.9 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 19.3 | 17.6 | 21.0 | 17.7 | 16.0 | 19.4 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5 | 11.9 | 10.7 | 13.1 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 8.8 |
| ≥2.5 to <3.0 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| ≥3.0 to <3.5 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| ≥3.5 to <4.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| 4.0 or more | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
Proportion of adults aged 18 years and over, by usual consumption of dairy and alternatives(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["Less than 0.5","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <2.5","\u22652.5 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <3.5","\u22653.5 to <4.0","4.0 or more"],[[10.9],[21.6],[24.7],[19.3],[11.9],[6.2],[3],[1.4],[1]],[[8.7,13.1],[19.9,23.3],[22.4,27],[17.6,21],[10.7,13.1],[5.4,7],[2.3,3.7],[0.8,2],[0.4,1.6]],[[7.8],[31.1],[31.2],[17.7],[7.8],[2.9],[1],[0.3],[0.1]],[[5.7,9.9],[28.6,33.6],[28.5,33.9],[16,19.4],[6.8,8.8],[2.1,3.7],[0.5,1.5],[0.1,0.5],[0,0.2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Comparison to 2011–12
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the proportion of people who met the dairy and alternatives recommendation was similar (10.1% and 7.2%). The proportion of those that met their recommendation decreased for the following age groups:
- children aged 2–4 years and 5–11 years, regardless of sex
- females aged 18–29 years (from 5.5% in 2011–12 to 2.0% in 2023)
- females aged 30–49 years (from 6.5% in 2011–12 to 3.5% in 2023).
Over the same time, the proportion increased for:
- males aged 50–64 years (from 6.3% in 2011–12 to 12.3% in 2023)
- males aged 65 to 74 years (from 1.7% in 2011–12 to 5.6% in 2023).
| Males, 2011–12 (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Males, 2023 (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females, 2011–12 (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females, 2023 (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 65.3 | 57.6 | 73.0 | 45.6 | 36.0 | 55.2 | 57.9 | 50.0 | 65.8 | 33.1 | 22.6 | 43.6 |
| 5–11 | 23.7 | 17.1 | 30.3 | 13.6 | 7.6 | 19.6 | 18.2 | 12.9 | 23.5 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 11.9 |
| 12–17(b)(c) | 3.3 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 7.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | ||||
| 18–29 | 15.0 | 10.5 | 19.5 | 10.5 | 6.4 | 14.6 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 7.9 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| 30–49 | 14.0 | 10.3 | 17.7 | 10.9 | 8.3 | 13.5 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 8.7 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 5.4 |
| 50–64(b) | 6.3 | 3.6 | 9.0 | 12.3 | 8.6 | 16.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | ||
| 65–74(b)(c) | 1.7 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 7.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | ||||
| 75 years and over(b)(c)(d) | 0.6 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 5.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
Proportion of people who met the dairy and alternatives recommendation(a), by age and sex, 2011–12 and 2023
["","Males, 2011\u201312","95% confidence interval","Males, 2023","95% confidence interval","Females, 2011\u201312","95% confidence interval","Females, 2023","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317(b)(c)","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364(b)","65\u201374(b)(c)","75 years and over(b)(c)(d)"],[[65.3],[23.7],[3.3],[15],[14],[6.3],[1.7],[0.6]],[[57.6,73],[17.1,30.3],[1.1,5.5],[10.5,19.5],[10.3,17.7],[3.6,9],[0.4,3],[null]],[[45.6],[13.6],[4.5],[10.5],[10.9],[12.3],[5.6],[3.2]],[[36,55.2],[7.6,19.6],[1.4,7.6],[6.4,14.6],[8.3,13.5],[8.6,16],[3.5,7.7],[0.7,5.7]],[[57.9],[18.2],[0.8],[5.5],[6.5],[0.1],[0.1],[0.1]],[[50,65.8],[12.9,23.5],[null],[3.1,7.9],[4.3,8.7],[null],[null],[null]],[[33.1],[7.8],[0.1],[2],[3.5],[0.2],[0.3],[0.3]],[[22.6,43.6],[3.7,11.9],[null],[0.5,3.5],[1.6,5.4],[0,0.4],[null],[null]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘Females, 2011–12’ has high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘Females, 2023’ has high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘Males, 2011–12’ has high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
Over this period, the average usual consumption of dairy and alternatives:
- decreased for children aged 2–4 years and 5–11 years, regardless of sex
- decreased for younger adults aged 18 to 49 years by approximately 0.2 serves/day
- increased for males aged 50–64 years by 0.2 serves/day
- increased for adults aged 65 years and over by approximately 0.2 serves/day.
Daily consumption and types of dairy and alternatives
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on one day of dietary information.
Lower fat varieties
The Guidelines recommend people choose low or reduced fat dairy varieties[2]. In 2023, almost one-fifth (18.2%) of all dairy and alternatives consumed came from lower fat varieties. People aged 2 years and over were most likely to consume medium fat varieties (53.3%) followed by higher fat varieties (28.5%).
The proportion of dairy and alternatives from lower fat varieties was:
- among children, similar between males and females (12.6% and 10.0%)
- among adults, higher for females than males (23.5% compared to 16.6%)
- increased with age, from 7.6% for people aged 2–4 years to 27.5% for those aged 75 years and over.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 7.7 | 4.8 | 10.6 | 7.4 | 4.2 | 10.6 |
| 5–11 | 12.2 | 8.8 | 15.6 | 9.0 | 6.3 | 11.7 |
| 12–17 | 15.0 | 9.9 | 20.1 | 13.2 | 10.3 | 16.1 |
| 18–29 | 12.5 | 9.2 | 15.8 | 15.8 | 13.4 | 18.2 |
| 30–49 | 13.8 | 11.4 | 16.2 | 19.1 | 16.6 | 21.6 |
| 50–64 | 19.3 | 15.7 | 22.9 | 26.7 | 23.9 | 29.5 |
| 65–74 | 23.4 | 19.1 | 27.7 | 30.3 | 25.1 | 35.5 |
| 75 years and over | 20.8 | 16.8 | 24.8 | 33.9 | 28.4 | 39.4 |
Proportion of dairy and alternatives(a) from lower fat varieties, by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[7.7],[12.2],[15],[12.5],[13.8],[19.3],[23.4],[20.8]],[[4.8,10.6],[8.8,15.6],[9.9,20.1],[9.2,15.8],[11.4,16.2],[15.7,22.9],[19.1,27.7],[16.8,24.8]],[[7.4],[9],[13.2],[15.8],[19.1],[26.7],[30.3],[33.9]],[[4.2,10.6],[6.3,11.7],[10.3,16.1],[13.4,18.2],[16.6,21.6],[23.9,29.5],[25.1,35.5],[28.4,39.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"40","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Lower fat varieties contributed less to the overall consumption of dairy and alternatives in 2023 than in 2011–12 (29.1% compared to 18.2%). Over the same time, the contribution from medium fat varieties increased (43.3% in 2011–12 to 53.3% in 2023) while the contribution from higher fat varieties was similar (27.6% in 2011–12 and 28.5% in 2023).
Types of dairy and alternatives
In 2023, the contribution of milk, yoghurt and cheese to total dairy and alternatives daily consumption was:
- 62.6% from milk
- 27.8% from cheese
- 7.5% from yoghurt.
Overall, males and females had a similar proportion of dairy and alternatives serves from milk (64.1% and 60.9%).
The proportion of dairy and alternatives daily serves from milk was generally lower for those aged 12–17 years (59.2%), 18–29 years (58.3%) and 30–49 years (58.6%).
Children aged 2–4 years had the lowest proportion of serves from cheese (18.5%), except when compared to those aged 75 years and over (20.2%) where the proportion was similar. A higher proportion of their serves came from yoghurt (14.8%) compared to other age groups.
Calcium-enriched dairy alternatives (such as soy or rice drinks) may contribute towards serves in this food group[2]. Other foods rich in calcium such as almonds, fish with bones and plant foods have not been included in this analysis. In 2023, dairy alternatives contributed to 2.0% of total dairy and alternatives serves.
| Milk (%) | Cheese (%) | Yoghurt (%) | Alternatives (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 66.1 | 18.5 | 14.8 | 0.7 |
| 5–11 | 66.1 | 23.3 | 9.6 | 1.0 |
| 12–17 | 59.2 | 32.0 | 7.8 | 1.0 |
| 18–29 | 58.3 | 32.0 | 7.4 | 2.4 |
| 30–49 | 58.6 | 31.8 | 7.0 | 2.6 |
| 50–64 | 64.4 | 26.2 | 6.9 | 2.5 |
| 65–74 | 68.1 | 23.7 | 6.3 | 1.9 |
| 75 years and over | 71.3 | 20.2 | 7.1 | 1.5 |
Proportion of dairy and alternatives(a), by type and age, 2023
["","Milk","Cheese","Yoghurt","Alternatives"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[66.1],[66.1],[59.2],[58.3],[58.6],[64.4],[68.1],[71.3]],[[18.5],[23.3],[32],[32],[31.8],[26.2],[23.7],[20.2]],[[14.8],[9.6],[7.8],[7.4],[7],[6.9],[6.3],[7.1]],[[0.7],[1],[1],[2.4],[2.6],[2.5],[1.9],[1.5]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Discretionary serves of dairy and alternatives
If foods and beverages from discretionary sources were included, average daily serves of dairy and alternatives would increase from 1.4 serves to 1.6 serves. The additional discretionary dairy and alternatives came from:
- Cereal-based mixed dishes (41.8%) such as ham and cheese sandwiches
- Frozen milk products (17.4%) such as ice-cream and other ice confectionery
- Chocolate (11.3%).
The proportion of dairy and alternatives daily serves from discretionary foods:
- was similar for males and females (15.7% and 17.1%)
- was highest for children aged 5–11 years (23.1%) and 12–17 years (23.8%)
- ranged from 13.9% to 20.8% for males
- ranged from 9.6% to 28.5% for females.
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the proportion of dairy and alternatives daily serves from discretionary foods increased for children (18.1% to 21.5%). In particular, the proportion for females aged:
- 5–11 years increased from 20.1% to 26.9%
- 12–17 years increased from 22.0% to 28.5%.
Among adults, the proportion of discretionary serves remained stable between 2011–12 and 2023 (15.3% and 15.0%).
Unsaturated spreads and oils
Fats are an essential part of our diet and are important for maintaining good health[4]. To reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood cholesterol levels, Guidelines recommend that people:
- eat less foods high in saturated fats
- have small amounts of unsaturated fats as a part of a balanced diet[4].
Recommended serves allowance
The Guidelines recommend that people consume a small allowance of unsaturated spreads and oils from non-discretionary foods as a part of a balanced diet[4]. This is in addition to the recommendations for the five food groups above.
The thresholds used in this analysis for meeting the recommended allowance are shown below.
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | 18–29 | 30–49 | 50–64 | 65–74 | 75 and over | |
| Males (serves/day) | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Females (serves/day) | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
A standard serve is equivalent to:
- 10 g (approximately a teaspoon) of polyunsaturated spread or monounsaturated spread,
- 10 g of selected nuts, seeds or nut pastes/butters,
- 7 g monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oil (e.g. olive, canola or sunflower oil).
Usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of food. It only includes serves from non-discretionary foods and beverages and excludes serves from discretionary foods like potato crisps.
Over one in two (51.3%) people aged 2 years and over met or exceeded the recommended allowance unsaturated spreads and oils on a usual basis in 2023.
The proportion of people who met or exceeded the recommended allowance was:
- lower for males than females (42.0% compared with 60.9%)
- higher among children aged 2–17 years compared to adults (86.8% compared to 42.2%).
Of adults aged 18 years and over, females were more likely to meet or exceed the recommended allowance of unsaturated spreads and oils than males (55.4% compared to 29.1%). Adult males aged between 18 and 64 years have an allowance of 4 serves/day of unsaturated spreads and oils compared to females of the same age with an allowance of 2 serves/day.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–17 | 90.6 | 86.0 | 95.2 | 82.7 | 74.6 | 90.8 |
| 18–29 | 20.7 | 14.2 | 27.2 | 54.3 | 45.3 | 63.3 |
| 30–49 | 23.8 | 18.0 | 29.6 | 56.8 | 50.4 | 63.2 |
| 50–64 | 23.8 | 18.0 | 29.6 | 60.1 | 53.4 | 66.8 |
| 65–74 | 42.4 | 32.3 | 52.5 | 58.9 | 50.6 | 67.2 |
| 75 years and over | 67.4 | 57.9 | 76.9 | 37.1 | 28.6 | 45.6 |
Proportion of people who met or exceeded the unsaturated spreads and oils allowance(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[90.6],[20.7],[23.8],[23.8],[42.4],[67.4]],[[86,95.2],[14.2,27.2],[18,29.6],[18,29.6],[32.3,52.5],[57.9,76.9]],[[82.7],[54.3],[56.8],[60.1],[58.9],[37.1]],[[74.6,90.8],[45.3,63.3],[50.4,63.2],[53.4,66.8],[50.6,67.2],[28.6,45.6]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
On average, males consumed more serves of unsaturated spreads and oils than females in 2023 (2.9 serves/day compared to 2.2 serves/day).
Average usual consumption was higher for adults aged 18 years and over than children aged 2–17 years.
- For males, children consumed 2.2 serves/day compared to 3.1 serves/day for adults.
- For females, children consumed 1.8 serves/day compared to 2.3 serves/day for adults.
| Males, average (serves/day) | Females, average (serves/day) | Males, recommendation (serves/day) | Females, recommendation (serves/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 5–11 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 12–17 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 18–29 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| 30–49 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| 50–64 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| 65–74 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| 75 years and over | 2.7 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Average usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) and allowance(b), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males, average","Females, average","Males, recommendation","Females, recommendation"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.6],[1.7],[3],[3],[3.2],[3.2],[3],[2.7]],[[1.4],[1.6],[2.4],[2.3],[2.3],[2.4],[2.4],[1.8]],[[0.5],[1],[2],[4],[4],[4],[3],[2]],[[0.5],[1],[2],[2],[2],[2],[2],[2]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- Different recommendations have been calculated for the age groups used in this analysis. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Children aged 2–17 years
In 2023, 86.8% of children aged 2–17 years met or exceeded the recommended allowance of serves of unsaturated spreads and oils. Across age, average usual consumption increased:
- among males, from 1.6 serves/day for children aged 2–4 years to 3.0 serves/day for those aged 12–17 years
- among females, from 1.4 serves/day for children aged 2–4 years to 2.4 serves/day for those aged 12–17 years.
The range of usual consumption also varied by age for males, with:
- 2.7% of males aged 5–11 years consuming 2.5 serves/day or more
- 60.1% of males aged 12–17 years consuming 2.5 serves/day or more.
| 2–4 years | 5–11 years | 12–17 years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1.0(b)(c)(d) | 3.4 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5(b)(c) | 43.1 | 28.5 | 7.6 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0(b)(c) | 42.4 | 48.8 | 13.3 |
| 2.0 or more(b)(c) | 10.9 | 21.2 | 76.6 |
Proportion of male children aged 2–17 years, by usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 1.0(b)(c)(d)","\u22651.0 to <1.5(b)(c)","\u22651.5 to <2.0(b)(c)","2.0 or more(b)(c)"],[[3.4],[43.1],[42.4],[10.9]],[[1.4],[28.5],[48.8],[21.2]],[[2.4],[7.6],[13.3],[76.6]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"axis_id":"0","tick_interval":"","axis_min":"","axis_max":"","axis_title":"","precision":"","table_units":"","tooltip_units":"","axis_units":"","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary foods and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘2–4 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘5–11 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘12–17 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
Over one-third (36.5%) of females aged 2–4 years consumed 1.5 serves or more of unsaturated spreads and oils. The recommended allowance is 0.5 serves.
| 2–4 years (%) | 5–11 years (%) | 12–17 years (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5(b) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| ≥0.5 to <1.0(c)(d) | 7.9 | 3.3 | 6.7 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5(c)(d) | 55.6 | 41.8 | 15.1 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0(c)(d) | 32.1 | 43.4 | 19.7 |
| 2.0 or more(b)(c) | 4.4 | 11.6 | 57.6 |
Proportion of female children aged 2–17 years, by usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) and age, 2023
["","2\u20134 years","5\u201311 years","12\u201317 years"]
[["Less than 0.5(b)","\u22650.5 to <1.0(c)(d)","\u22651.0 to <1.5(c)(d)","\u22651.5 to <2.0(c)(d)","2.0 or more(b)(c)"],[[0],[7.9],[55.6],[32.1],[4.4]],[[0],[3.3],[41.8],[43.4],[11.6]],[[0.9],[6.7],[15.1],[19.7],[57.6]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"60","tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary foods and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘12–17 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘2–4 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
- The proportion for ‘5–11 years’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
Adults aged 18 years and over
Two in five (42.2%) adults met or exceeded the recommended allowance of unsaturated spreads and oils in 2023. Average usual consumption was higher for males than females (3.1 serves/day compared to 2.3 serves/day).
Of adults, males were more likely than females to consume 5.0 or more serves/day of unsaturated spreads and oils (8.7% compared to 2.3%).
Of adult females:
- 7.8% had 4.0 serves/day or more, double the recommended allowance
- 8.8% had less than 1.0 serves/day, half the recommended allowance.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 0.5(b) | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.0 | ||
| ≥0.5 to <1.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 7.7 | 5.6 | 9.8 |
| ≥1.0 to <1.5 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 9.4 | 16.2 | 14.2 | 18.2 |
| ≥1.5 to <2.0 | 12.6 | 10.9 | 14.3 | 19.7 | 17.3 | 22.1 |
| ≥2.0 to <2.5 | 15.9 | 14.2 | 17.6 | 18.2 | 16.0 | 20.4 |
| ≥2.5 to <3.0 | 16.0 | 13.8 | 18.2 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 15.4 |
| ≥3.0 to <3.5 | 13.9 | 11.8 | 16.0 | 9.5 | 8.2 | 10.8 |
| ≥3.5 to <4.0 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 12.3 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 6.9 |
| ≥4.0 to <4.5 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 8.7 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 4.3 |
| ≥4.5 to <5.0 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| 5.0 or more | 8.7 | 6.1 | 11.3 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 3.8 |
Proportion of adults aged 18 years and over, by usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["Less than 0.5(b)","\u22650.5 to <1.0","\u22651.0 to <1.5","\u22651.5 to <2.0","\u22652.0 to <2.5","\u22652.5 to <3.0","\u22653.0 to <3.5","\u22653.5 to <4.0","\u22654.0 to <4.5","\u22654.5 to <5.0","5.0 or more"],[[0.2],[2],[7],[12.6],[15.9],[16],[13.9],[10.8],[7.6],[5.2],[8.7]],[[null],[0.4,3.6],[4.6,9.4],[10.9,14.3],[14.2,17.6],[13.8,18.2],[11.8,16],[9.3,12.3],[6.5,8.7],[4.3,6.1],[6.1,11.3]],[[1.1],[7.7],[16.2],[19.7],[18.2],[13.9],[9.5],[5.9],[3.5],[2],[2.3]],[[0.2,2],[5.6,9.8],[14.2,18.2],[17.3,22.1],[16,20.4],[12.4,15.4],[8.2,10.8],[4.9,6.9],[2.7,4.3],[1.3,2.7],[0.8,3.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
- The proportion for ‘Males’ has a high relative standard error and should be used with caution.
Comparison to 2011–12
Care should be taken when interpreting changes in food consumption between 2011–12 and 2023, due to changes in reporting behaviours as well as subsequent data processing (i.e. changes to the AUSNUT classification). This is particularly the case for unsaturated spreads and oils as some food and beverage sources have changed from being flagged as discretionary to non-discretionary. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
The proportion of people who met or exceeded the recommended allowance of serves of unsaturated spreads and oils increased from 33.3% in 2011–12 to 51.3% in 2023. The proportion has:
- increased for all age and sex groups
- increased from 53.0% for children aged 2–17 years in 2011–12 to 86.8% in 2023.
Over this period, the average usual number of serves of unsaturated spreads and oils from non-discretionary foods and beverages has increased by:
- 0.7 serves among males (from 2.2 serves/day to 2.9 serves/day)
- 0.4 serves among females (from 1.8 serves/day to 2.2 serves/day).
| 2011–12, Males (serves/day) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (high) | 2023, Males (serves/day) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (high) | 2011–12, Females (serves/day) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (high) | 2023, Females (serves/day) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (serves/day) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–17 years | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| 18 years and over | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
Average usual consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a), by age and sex, 2011–12 and 2023
["","2011\u201312, Males","95% confidence interval","2023, Males","95% confidence interval","2011\u201312, Females","95% confidence interval","2023, Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u201317 years","18 years \nand over"],[[1.5],[2.4]],[[1.4,1.6],[2.3,2.5]],[[2.2],[3.1]],[[2.1,2.3],[3,3.2]],[[1.2],[1.9]],[[1.1,1.3],[1.8,2]],[[1.8],[2.3]],[[1.7,1.9],[2.2,2.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves\/day)","table_units":"(serves\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from non-discretionary food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Daily consumption and types of unsaturated oils and spreads
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on a single day.
Types of unsaturated spreads and oils
Most of the daily serves of non-discretionary unsaturated spreads and oils from came from unsaturated oils (69.9%) followed by nuts (27.5%) and unsaturated spreads (5.6%).
When looking at non-discretionary foods and beverages contributing to unsaturated spreads and oils from AUSNUT major food groups, the most common included:
- Vegetable products and dishes (22.7%)
- Seed and nut products and dishes (20.9%)
- Meat, poultry and game products and dishes (17.2%).
Discretionary serves of unsaturated spreads and oils
When discretionary foods like potato crisps and pastries were included, average daily serves of unsaturated spreads and oils increased by 1.0 serve from 2.6 serves to 3.6 serves for people aged 2 years and over.
Males aged 12–17 years consumed an average of 5.2 serves from all food and beverages, more than double the recommended allowance of 2 serves/day.
| Non-discretionary (serves) | Discretionary (serves) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| 5–11 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| 12–17 | 3.2 | 2.0 |
| 18–29 | 3.2 | 1.3 |
| 30–49 | 3.2 | 1.0 |
| 50–64 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 65–74 | 2.8 | 0.8 |
| 75 years and over | 2.1 | 0.8 |
Average consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) including consumption from discretionary foods, by age, males, 2023
["","Non-discretionary","Discretionary"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.4],[1.7],[3.2],[3.2],[3.2],[3.2],[2.8],[2.1]],[[0.8],[1.5],[2],[1.3],[1],[1.1],[0.8],[0.8]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves)","table_units":"(serves)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
On average, females aged 2 years and over had an additional 0.9 serves of unsaturated spreads and oils from discretionary foods.
| Non-discretionary (serves) | Discretionary (serves) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| 5–11 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 12–17 | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| 18–29 | 2.3 | 0.8 |
| 30–49 | 2.4 | 0.9 |
| 50–64 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| 65–74 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| 75 years and over | 1.9 | 0.7 |
Average consumption of unsaturated spreads and oils(a) including consumption from discretionary foods, by age, females, 2023
["","Non-discretionary","Discretionary"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[1.4],[1.5],[2.3],[2.3],[2.4],[2.4],[2.4],[1.9]],[[0.8],[1.5],[1.3],[0.8],[0.9],[0.8],[0.8],[0.7]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves)","table_units":"(serves)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Comparison to 2011–12
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the average daily serve of unsaturated spreads and oils from all food and beverages has increased:
- from 3.2 serves to 3.6 serves
- among all age groups, except for people aged between 18 and 39 years where the average has remained similar (3.7 serves and 3.8 serves).
| Non-discretionary (serves) | Discretionary (serves) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2011–12, 2–17 years | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| 2023, 2–17 years | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| 2011–12, 18 years and over | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| 2023, 18 years and over | 2.7 | 0.9 |
Average consumption of unsaturated spread and oils(a), including consumption from discretionary foods, by age, 2011–12 and 2023
["","Non-discretionary","Discretionary"]
[["2011\u201312, 2\u201317 years","2023, 2\u201317 years","2011\u201312, 18 years \nand over","2023, 18 years \nand over"],[[1.3],[2],[2.2],[2.7]],[[1.4],[1.4],[1.2],[0.9]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Serves","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(serves)","table_units":"(serves)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Day 1 consumption from food and beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Water
Water is fundamental to life and consuming an adequate amount each day is essential for maintaining good health[2]. Water can be derived from a variety of sources, including:
- plain water (either tap or bottled)
- beverages (such as tea, coffee or alcoholic drinks)
- moisture from food.
Recommendation
There are no specific target amounts for water consumption because the amount required depends on individual factors like body size, diet, climate and levels of physical activity. Instead, the Guidelines generally recommend that people drink plenty of water and that drinking plain water is the most effective way to stay hydrated[2].
Plain water
Nine in ten (90.4%) people aged 2 years and over consumed plain water in 2023 on the day before their interview. Most of the plain water people consumed came from tap water (89.6%), with the remaining 10.4% coming from bottled water.
Usual consumption of plain water
This analysis is based on modelled estimates of people’s long-term (usual) consumption of beverages.
On average, people aged 2 years and over consumed over 5 cups of plain water per day, either tap or bottled, on a usual basis in 2023. The average was:
- similar for males and females (1,360 mL and 1,321 mL)
- higher among people aged between 12 and 49 years (ranging between 1,565 mL and 1,635 mL for males, and 1,445 mL and 1,593 mL for females).
| Males (mL/day) | 95% confidence interval (mL/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (mL/day) (high) | Females (mL/day) | 95% confidence interval (mL/day) (low) | 95% confidence interval (mL/day) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 990.2 | 896.1 | 1,084.3 | 941.9 | 861.7 | 1,022.1 |
| 5–11 | 1,218.5 | 1,154.6 | 1,282.4 | 1,165.5 | 1,087.9 | 1,243.1 |
| 12–17 | 1,573.7 | 1,447.8 | 1,699.6 | 1,445.3 | 1,323.9 | 1,566.7 |
| 18–29 | 1,635.0 | 1,493.0 | 1,777.0 | 1,593.0 | 1,465.1 | 1,720.9 |
| 30–49 | 1,565.4 | 1,471.6 | 1,659.2 | 1,493.7 | 1,421.7 | 1,565.7 |
| 50–64 | 1,246.2 | 1,158.8 | 1,333.6 | 1,260.8 | 1,173.5 | 1,348.1 |
| 65–74 | 992.8 | 901.0 | 1,084.6 | 1,116.1 | 1,023.1 | 1,209.1 |
| 75 years and over | 800.2 | 696.0 | 904.4 | 881.4 | 799.2 | 963.6 |
Average usual consumption of plain water(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[990.2],[1218.5],[1573.7],[1635],[1565.4],[1246.2],[992.8],[800.2]],[[896.1,1084.3],[1154.6,1282.4],[1447.8,1699.6],[1493,1777],[1471.6,1659.2],[1158.8,1333.6],[901,1084.6],[696,904.4]],[[941.9],[1165.5],[1445.3],[1593],[1493.7],[1260.8],[1116.1],[881.4]],[[861.7,1022.1],[1087.9,1243.1],[1323.9,1566.7],[1465.1,1720.9],[1421.7,1565.7],[1173.5,1348.1],[1023.1,1209.1],[799.2,963.6]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"mL\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(mL\/day)","table_units":"(mL\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from plain tap and bottled water. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
The amount of plain water usually consumed varied within, as well as between, age groups and sex. For example, there was almost a 2,000 mL/day difference between the 10th and 90th percentiles for male adults. This was generally larger than the difference for female adults or children.
| 10th percentile (mL/day) | 50th percentile (median) (mL/day) | 90th percentile (mL/day) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males, 2–17 years | 714.7 | 1,207.5 | 2,024.7 |
| Females, 2–17 years | 683.4 | 1,144.4 | 1,870.4 |
| Males, 18 years and over | 429.6 | 1,269.0 | 2,424.8 |
| Females, 18 years and over | 541.1 | 1,246.8 | 2,262.4 |
Distribution of usual consumption of plain water(a) by age and sex, 2023
["","10th percentile","50th percentile (median)","90th percentile"]
[["Males, 2\u201317 years","Females, 2\u201317 years","Males, 18 years \nand over","Females, 18 years \nand over"],[[714.7],[683.4],[429.6],[541.1]],[[1207.5],[1144.4],[1269],[1246.8]],[[2024.7],[1870.4],[2424.8],[2262.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age and sex group","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"mL\/day","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(mL\/day)","table_units":"(mL\/day)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from tap and plain bottled water. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Usual average contribution of plain water to total beverages
The Guidelines recommend choosing plain water instead of drinks with added sugars or alcohol[2]. On average, plain water contributed to more than half of people’s total beverage consumption on a usual basis (55.8% for males and 60.3% for females).
The average usual contribution of plain water to beverage consumption was highest among children aged 2–17 years (69.7% for males and 72.6% for females) and generally decreased with age.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 71.7 | 69.4 | 74.0 | 74.4 | 71.9 | 76.9 |
| 5–11 | 71.8 | 70.3 | 73.3 | 74.4 | 72.8 | 76.0 |
| 12–17 | 66.4 | 62.6 | 70.2 | 69.7 | 66.8 | 72.6 |
| 18–29 | 60.0 | 56.9 | 63.1 | 65.8 | 62.4 | 69.2 |
| 30–49 | 57.5 | 55.4 | 59.6 | 61.5 | 59.3 | 63.7 |
| 50–64 | 47.4 | 41.9 | 52.9 | 54.3 | 51.6 | 57.0 |
| 65–74 | 41.8 | 33.9 | 49.7 | 49.4 | 44.6 | 54.2 |
| 75 years and over | 37.2 | 27.3 | 47.1 | 43.7 | 36.1 | 51.3 |
Average usual contribution of plain water to total beverage consumption(a), by age and sex, 2023
["","Males","95% confidence interval","Females","95% confidence interval"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[71.7],[71.8],[66.4],[60],[57.5],[47.4],[41.8],[37.2]],[[69.4,74],[70.3,73.3],[62.6,70.2],[56.9,63.1],[55.4,59.6],[41.9,52.9],[33.9,49.7],[27.3,47.1]],[[74.4],[74.4],[69.7],[65.8],[61.5],[54.3],[49.4],[43.7]],[[71.9,76.9],[72.8,76],[66.8,72.6],[62.4,69.2],[59.3,63.7],[51.6,57],[44.6,54.2],[36.1,51.3]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Usual consumption from all beverages. See IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods for more information.
Comparison to 2011–12
Between 2011–12 and 2023, the average usual consumption of plain water increased by just over one cup per day (an increase of 292 mL for males and 272 mL for females). Consumption increased by 2 cups per day among male children aged 12–17 years (from 1,066 mL to 1,574 mL).
On average, plain water contributed more to total beverage consumption in 2023 compared to 2011–12 with an increase from:
- 44.0% to 55.8% for males
- 50.5% to 60.3% for females.
This suggests that there has been a shift towards people choosing plain water over other beverages. Over this period, the average contribution from plain water to total beverages increased by 19 percentage points for children aged 2–4 years (from 52.4% to 71.7% for males and 55.3% to 74.4% for females). This aligns with the decrease in the proportion of children in this age group who consumed soft drinks and flavoured mineral waters on any given day from 8.1% in 2011–12 to 3.9% in 2023.
Further analysis is available on Sweetened beverages as well as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in Food and nutrients.
Sources of water
This analysis is based on the food and beverages people reported consuming on a single day.
When taking into account moisture (water) from all food and beverages, people consumed an average of 2,730 g per day. Most of this (78.0% or 2,130 g) came from beverages, with the remaining 22.0% coming from food.
The moisture from beverages comprised:
- 63.4% from plain water (1,350 g)
- 11.2% from water-based beverages, including tea and black coffee (239 g)
- 12.8% from fruit juice, milk, and milk alternative beverages (272 g)
- 12.6% from discretionary beverages like soft drinks, cordials and alcoholic beverages (269 g).
| Plain water(c) (%) | Tea, coffee prepared using water, and flavoured water (%) | Other non-discretionary beverages(d) (%) | Discretionary beverages (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | 76.8 | 0.2 | 21.6 | 1.5 |
| 5–11 | 76.9 | 0.9 | 17.0 | 5.2 |
| 12–17 | 72.9 | 2.4 | 13.4 | 11.3 |
| 18–29 | 70.1 | 5.3 | 10.6 | 14.1 |
| 30–49 | 65.6 | 10.0 | 10.8 | 13.7 |
| 50–64 | 55.7 | 16.8 | 13.3 | 14.1 |
| 65–74 | 50.2 | 22.0 | 14.6 | 13.2 |
| 75 years and over | 45.8 | 26.4 | 17.4 | 10.4 |
Contribution to moisture consumption(a) from beverages(b), by age and type of beverage, 2023
["","Plain water(c)","Tea, coffee prepared using water, and flavoured water","Other non-discretionary beverages(d)","Discretionary beverages"]
[["2\u20134","5\u201311","12\u201317","18\u201329","30\u201349","50\u201364","65\u201374","75 years and over"],[[76.8],[76.9],[72.9],[70.1],[65.6],[55.7],[50.2],[45.8]],[[0.2],[0.9],[2.4],[5.3],[10],[16.8],[22],[26.4]],[[21.6],[17],[13.4],[10.6],[10.8],[13.3],[14.6],[17.4]],[[1.5],[5.2],[11.3],[14.1],[13.7],[14.1],[13.2],[10.4]]]
[]
[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"Age group (years)","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}][{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]- Moisture refers to water that is naturally present in foods and beverages, water that is added to foods and beverages (like water in coffee or tea) and plain drinking water.
- Based on food and beverages reported on Day 1. See the methodology for definition.
- Includes tap water and plain bottled water
- Includes the moisture present in non-discretionary beverages such as milk-based beverages, milk alternative based beverages and fruit juice.
Footnotes
- Eat for Health, ‘About the Australian dietary guidelines’, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/about-australian-dietary-guidelines; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Eat for Health, ‘Australian Dietary Guidelines’, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/guidelines; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Eat for Health, ‘How much do we need each day?’, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Eat for Health, ‘Fat’, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/fat-salt-sugars-and-alcohol/fat; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Eat for Health, ‘Discretionary food and drink choices’, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/discretionary-food-and-drink-choices; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), ‘Principles and Practices of Dietary Exposure Assessment for Food Regulatory Purposes', https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/principles-and-practices-of-dietary-exposure-assessment; accessed 15/05/2026.
- Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, El Ghissassi F, Benbrahim-Tallaa L et al, ‘Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat’, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)00444-1/abstract, accessed 15/05/2026.
Data downloads
See National Nutrition and Physical Activity 2023 data downloads for the full suite of available data.
Data relating to consumption of food groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines can be found in tables:
- TABLES 1 to 5 Summary food and beverages consumption by Australian Dietary Guidelines
- TABLES 6 to 11 Usual consumption of Australian Dietary Guidelines food groups
- TABLES 12 to 17 Serves of non-discretionary Australian Dietary Guidelines food groups by type
- TABLES 18 to 20 Consumption of water and moisture.
Methodology
Scope
Includes:
- usual residents in Australia aged 2+ years living in private dwellings
- urban and rural areas in all states and territories, excluding very remote parts of Australia and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.
Geography
The data available includes estimates for Australia.
Source
The National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Collection method
- Face-to-face interview with an ABS Interviewer
- 24-hour dietary recall data collected face-to-face with an ABS Interviewer or via an online interview
- Some physical activity and sleep data was collected on a voluntary basis via an accelerometer.
Concepts, sources and methods
- Descriptions of the concepts underlying the data are available in IHMHS: Concepts, Sources and Methods
- 24-hour dietary recall is presented using a classification based on the AUSNUT files by FSANZ.