Discretionary foods

The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) and the Australian Guide to Heathy Eating offer comprehensive advice on the types and amounts of food needed for optimal health and wellbeing (Eat for Health 2013: NHMRC 2013a).  One of the key recommendations, Guideline 3, advises Australians to ‘Limit intake of foods containing saturated fats, added salt, added sugars and alcohol.’ Foods that fall under this category are referred to as discretionary foods.

Discretionary foods are described as “foods and drinks not necessary to provide the nutrients the body needs, but that may add variety. However, many of these are high in saturated fats, sugars, salt and/or alcohol, and are therefore described as energy dense. They can be included sometimes in small amounts by those who are physically active, but are not a necessary part of the diet” (NHMRC 2013a).

The Educators Guide to Eat for Health further explains that discretionary foods can enhance the enjoyment of eating, especially during social, family or cultural events. However, it emphasises the importance of portion control and treating these foods as occasional extras, particularly in the context of energy requirements and healthy eating patterns (NHMRC 2013b).

The ADG recommend replacing discretionary foods with healthier alternatives from the same food group, those with lower saturated fats, sugar and salt content, and to limit alcohol intake (NHMRC 2013a). 

To monitor consumption patterns, a discretionary food flag was applied to foods reported as consumed in the study. This flag identifies foods that match the discretionary food definitions for different food types outlined in the 2013 ADG (Eat for Health 2013; NHMRC 2013a, 2013b).

The discretionary food flag was assigned at the 8-digit AUSNUT 2023 code level based on the following principles.

Non-discretionary foods

• Food groups clearly classified within the ADG food groups (e.g. fruit, vegetables), were flagged as non-discretionary.

Discretionary foods

• Entire AUSNUT food groups (major, sub-major or minor) identified as discretionary in the 2013 ADG (e.g. alcoholic drinks, confectionery) were flagged as discretionary.

Mixed foods

• For foods with mixed ingredients (e.g. burgers, soups, dips, pizzas, dairy desserts, dairy alternatives and products), nutrient profile criteria for fat, total sugars, sodium and/or calcium content were applied at the 8-digit AUSNUT level to determine discretionary status.
• Nutrient criteria application: All relevant foods were assessed using updated AUSNUT 2023 nutrient profiles, including both homemade and commercial versions, unless otherwise specified.
• Expanded saturated fat criterion: Previously limited to certain foods in the Cereal-based foods and products category in AUSNUT 2011–13, this criterion was extended to similar mixed foods at the 8-digit level for consistency in AUSNUT 2023. Trans fat was also added to the criterion, as noted below.

Oil content consideration

• Mixed foods composed solely of the five foods group ingredients and small amounts of unsaturated or monounsaturated oils were considered non-discretionary.

Discretionary status was determined using the following nutrient content criteria. Foods meeting these criteria were flagged as discretionary:

• Fat: > 5 g saturated fatty acids + trans fatty acids per 100 g for cereal-based foods and similar mixed foods (e.g. pizza, crumbed meats, battered or crumbed fish and seafood, fried vegetables).
• Total sugars: > 20 g total sugars per 100 g for breakfast cereals without fruit, > 22.5 g total sugars per 100 g for breakfast cereals with added dried fruit.
• Sodium:  > 280 mg sodium per 100 g for soups, 270-720 mg per 100 g for savoury biscuits, depending on the type.
• Calcium: < 100 mg calcium per 100 g for mixed foods with dairy content or dairy alternatives. Additionally, dairy alternative beverages were flagged as discretionary if they contained < 100mg calcium and > 5 g sugar per 100 g.

Consideration was given to nutrient criteria used in the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Food Reformulation Program, which is a joint government and food industry voluntary initiative that aims to improve the potential health benefits of food available in Australia by setting  targets for the desired nutrient content of selected food groups through reducing the fat, total sugars and/or sodium content to be in line with the 2013 ADG (DHAC 2022). 

The discretionary food flag list may not be suitable for all applications. Researchers who may wish to apply different classifications in their own research will be able to in the DataLab later in 2025.

For further information on changes made to the discretionary food flag since the AHS 2011–13, see Comparing food and nutrient collections over time.

Further details of the principles for assigning a discretionary food flag and rationale for the changes since the AHS 2011–13 can be obtained from the ABS on request (health@abs.gov.au).

The discretionary food criteria follow the intention of the 2013 Guidelines: to identify foods high in saturated fats, sugar, salt, alcohol and energy, and flag these as discretionary. 

Some discretionary foods are often consumed in large amounts and may result in a high intake of saturated fat, sugar, salt, alcohol and/or energy. The discretionary food flag does not consider portion size, or the total amount of each food consumed and is not intended for use in this way. Advice on the quantity of different types of food to consume per day is given in the 2013 ADG.

For some food types, nutrient criteria are used to determine discretionary food status. In most cases a single nutrient criterion is used to determine discretionary status.  The nutrient criterion is chosen based on which nutrient has the higher percentage contribution for that food group to overall nutrient intake, making it a higher priority due to expected health impact. As a result, some discretionary food flags within a given food group may seem inconsistent at first glance. 

Example of an apparent inconsistency: 

• savoury crackers may be high in both saturated fat and sodium (from added salt)
• only sodium content is used as the deciding factor for this food group
• a regular cracker with a low sodium content may be considered non-discretionary, even if it has a high saturated fat content
• meanwhile, a reduced-fat version may be flagged as discretionary if it has a higher sodium content that exceeds the relevant sodium criterion.

These decisions reflect how nutrient criteria have been applied to eligible individual 8-digit foods and may differ from general expectations of what is a “discretionary food”.

Department of Health (DoH) (2013), National Healthy Schools Canteen – Guidelines for healthy foods and drinks supplied in school canteens, DoH, accessed 25/07/2025.

Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) (2022), Partnership Reformulation Program – Summary of food categories and reformulation targets, DHAC, accessed 25/07/2025.

Eat for Health (2013), Eat for Health Dietary Guidelines Summary, National Health and Medical Research Council in conjunction with the Department of Health and Ageing, accessed 25/07/2025.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (2013a), Australian Dietary Guidelines, NHMRC, accessed 25/07/2025.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (2013b), Eat for Health – Educators guide, NHMRC in conjunction with the Department of Health and Ageing, accessed 25/07/2025.

Public Health England (PHE) (2016), The Eatwell Guide, National Health Service, accessed 25/07/2025.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2018), WHO plan to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids form the global food supply, WHO, accessed 25/07/2025.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2020), Healthy Diet: Fact Sheet, WHO, accessed 25/07/2025.