The following information is provided for school projects and study purposes.

This information, including the Healthy Eating Pyramid as depicted is, in its entirety, copyright The Australian Nutrition Foundation Inc. (Nutrition Australia). It may be downloaded from this site for purposes of school projects, private study, research, criticism or review but may not be reproduced in any other document by any process without written permission of the copyright owner. For application forms and details of costs involved to reproduce see details this web site, On the Bookshelf and About Us

The Healthy Eating Pyramid is a food selection guide developed by the Australian Nutrition Foundation Inc. (Nutrition Australia). It is without doubt the most successful and widely used guide ever produced in Australia. Its success is in its simplicity and its acceptance by a wide age range. The Healthy Eating Pyramid uses the idea of food groups and organises these according to the energy and the nutrients that they supply. It shows the proportions of one group of foods to another for our total food intake.

Modelled on a 1974 Swedish concept, the Australian Healthy Eating Pyramid was launched by The Australian Nutrition Foundation in 1982. The Pyramid has been updated from time to time to keep up with scientific developments. Similar Pyramids have been developed in other countries and for groups with special needs. The one depicted here is for use in Australia.

The coloured version of the Healthy Eating Pyramid is bright and eye-catching. All plant foods are together in the Eat Most group at the base, animal foods are in the Eat Moderately group in the centre and fats and sugar are in the Eat in Small Amounts group at the top. The symbol for water is included with a tick and salt is depicted with a cross.

The pyramid has along its base the Nutrition Australia, slogan: "Optimal health through food variety and physical activity" and active people. This is helps to remind us of the important links between being active, our food intake and our health. In other works to be healthy we need to eat well and be active every day. 

The base of the pyramid includes all plant foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried peas, beans and lentils, breads and cereals (preferably wholegrain). These foods contain many different nutrients and should make up most of the food that we eat ~ they are called the eat most foods. Eating a variety of these foods each day should provide good amounts of energy from carbohydrate, as well as protein, vitamins and dietary fibre. In other words these foods are nutrient dense. Alongside the base is the symbol for water to encourage water consumption. 6-8 glasses each day is the recommendation. Smaller children about 4-5 glasses of water.

Foods in the middle of the pyramid include fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken (without skin), milk, cheese and yoghurt. These foods are called eat moderately foods. Eating a serving or two of some foods from this section of the Healthy Eating Pyramid should help to provide protein, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and B vitamins.

Foods at the top of the pyramid, the eat in small amounts foods, should be limited because they lack a good supply of the nutrients for growth, good health and quick energy. While small amounts of fats, oils and sugar are acceptable, larger amounts of these foods will cause an inadequately varied food intake. The pyramid also suggests that salt should not be added to foods.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid was designed as a simple, conceptual model for people to use as a first step to achieving food variety that will supply the nutrients required for good health.

• It does not, and was not intended to address the complexities of our food supply. This allows individual food choices in the ways that foods can be mixed to create flavours and textures that please our diverse population. That is, choose lots of different foods and mix them up the ways that you enjoy.

• The pyramid represents basic foods only, no composite foods (eg stews, pizza, biscuits) and no brand names. It does not represent serves or serve sizes, rather, it represents proportion.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid is a three dimensional, stable, strong structure used as a model for qualitative (ie proportion of one food to another), not quantitative (not amounts or actual serve sizes) food choices. It groups foods together according to their energy content and according to the various nutrients that they can provide. The pyramid encourages variety, minimum fat, adequate fibre, limited salt and adequate water.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid for Lacto-ovo Vegetarians

To help meet the needs of vegetarians the Healthy Eating Pyramid for Lacto-ovo Vegetarians was also developed by The Australian Nutrition Foundation Inc. It is designed to assist with food choices for lacto-ovo vegetarian meals (lacto means dairy foods and ovo means eggs). It uses the same ideas as the basic Healthy Eating Pyramid. However if you look closely you will note that the eat most section is larger, there is no meat and some special foods such as tofu are added. The notes above are still relevant for this special pyramid.

There are many reasons why some people prefer to be vegetarian. These reasons could be religious, cultural, environmental, financial, health or just preference. Being vegetarian is not only a matter of excluding meat. It is a matter of managing food intake so that the variety of nutrients required for health is available. When meat is excluded, protein and iron foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds and tofu must be included.

Some people who call themselves vegetarian still eat fish. Others who follow a vegan diet exclude all animal foods – ie no meat, eggs or dairy foods. The pyramid is not appropriate for vegans because they have a very restricted food intake and need special rules to ensure that they remain healthy.

For more information about the Healthy Eating Pyramid click here.

For details of publications that include the Healthy Eating Pyramid go to On the Bookshelf.

Last updated 01/07/2003 .