Patterns of dietary behaviour

Information is reported on dietary habits, reasons for choosing a diet or eating pattern, food avoidance and the reasons for avoiding certain foods (National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) only), and on the use of oils, fats and salt in preparing and cooking food for consumption. 

Self-reported questions about the number of serves of fruit and vegetables, used in other health surveys, were included in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS) 2023, but not in the NNPAS 2023. Information on the number of serves, estimated from dietary recall data, as described in the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) are available in both surveys. See Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) food groups for more information.

Data items and related output categories for this topic are available in the NNPAS Data Item List and the NATSINPAS Data Item List.

Respondents may add salt as a food within their dietary recall, and this was retained during data processing. However, as salt is not specifically prompted in Intake24, estimates should be considered with caution. Respondents were asked general questions about salt use in food preparation, cooking and at the table, and whether the salt they use was iodised. Further information is provided on the short questions in the NNPAS 2023 methodology and the NATSINPAS 2023 methodology.

The AUSNUT files reflect salt consumption in food ‘as sold’ for fresh or processed foods and takeaway foods. AUSNUT recipes for home prepared foods do not assume any amounts of added salt (iodised or non-iodised). See the Food recipes file and Nutrient Profiles on the FSANZ website for more information. 

Salt is a source of sodium and if iodised salt is used, of iodine.  No adjustment was made during data processing based on survey responses to the short questions on salt use, so total dietary sodium and iodine intakes may be underestimated.

Respondents were asked about the main oil or fat used when cooking dishes containing vegetables, meat, chicken or seafood. Further information is provided in the NNPAS 2023 methodology and the NATSINPAS 2023 methodology.

Data were used to inform fat and oil content of the AUSNUT food recipes created by FSANZ for ‘not further defined foods’, see Food and beverage recall. The highest used oils and fats in the general population are outlined in the table below.