Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

The nutritional needs of children and adolescents are different from those of adults because children are growing and developing. The Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents were developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) in 1995 and subsequently reviewed in 2003. These guidelines apply to the general population of healthy children from birth to eighteen years. Background information on each dietary guideline can be obtained by clicking the appropriate dietary guideline.

Encourage and support breastfeeding

Children and adolescents need sufficient nutritious foods to grow and develop normally

Growth should be checked regularly for young children
Physical activity is important for all children and adolescents

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods

Children and adolescents should be encouraged to:

Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits
Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain
Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives
Include milks, yoghurts, cheese and/or alternatives
- Reduced-fat milks are not suitable for young children under 2 years, because of their high energy needs, but reduced-fat varieties should be encouraged for older children and adolescents
Choose water as a drink
Alcohol is not recommended for children

and care should be taken to:
Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake
Low-fat diets are not suitable for infants
Choose foods low in salt
Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars

Care for your child's food: prepare and store it safely

These guidelines are not in order of importance.
Each one deals with an issue that is key to optimal health.
Two relate to the quantity and quality of the food we eat-getting the right types of foods in the right amounts to meet the body's nutrient needs and to reduce the risk of chronic disease. Given the epidemic of obesity we are currently experiencing in Australia, one of these guidelines specifically relates to the need to be active and to avoid overeating.

Another guideline stresses the need to be vigilant about food safety, and, in view of the increasing awareness of the importance of early nutrition, there is a further guideline that encourages everyone to support and promote breastfeeding.